Michigan’s Economy No Longer Built Around Mining

February 25, 2009

By Gabriel Caplett

One would be hard-pressed to find a major mining region that has left area residents and the local economy with accumulated wealth and economic stability. Consider mining regions such as the Ozarks lead district, Idaho’s Silver Valley, Arizona and Montana copper towns, New Mexico’s uranium district, Minnesota’s Iron Range and the Michigan Upper Peninsula iron and copper ranges. All remain relatively economically-depressed areas.

The idea that a mining economy is sustainable and important to the Upper Peninsula’s economic future ignores several facts about the metals industry Read the rest of this entry »

1 Comment | Eagle Mine, economy, Kennecott-Rio Tinto, Michigan | Tagged: , , , , | Permalink
Posted by LSMN

Cameco Hits Rough Patch

May 12, 2008

by Gabriel Caplett

Since opening its McArthur River uranium mine, in 1999, Cameco Corporation has become a global leader in uranium production and groundwater contamination. Over the past decade, Cameco has been criticized for mine collapses, extensive groundwater contamination, major uranium and cyanide spills, and transportation accidents – most recently in Nebraska, Wyoming and Saskatchewan….

“A lack of relevant knowledge about faults and fractures”

The Oglala Sioux Nation, along with the Western Nebraska Resources Coalition, Owe Aku/Bring Back the Way, the Clean Water Advocacy Project, Rock the Earth, and other petitioners are filing a legal claim against Crow Butte Resources (CBR), a subsidiary of Cameco. The petitioners maintain that CBR’s in-situ uranium operations, near the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation, are contaminating the Brule, Arikaree and High Plains aquifers, a major source of freshwater stretching from Texas to South Dakota that supplies irrigatable water for growing vegetables, grains and raising livestock. The Crow Butte mine currently produces roughly 800,000 pounds of uranium “yellowcake”, yearly, which is used for power generation in Canada. Read the rest of this entry »

2 Comments | cameco, Canada, indigenous, uranium, water pollution | Tagged: , , , , , | Permalink
Posted by LSMN

UP Citizens and KBIC Vice-President Address Rio Tinto Board in London

April 19, 2008

by Gabriel Caplett

London, UK  -  Four citizens from  Michigan’s Upper Peninsula attended Rio Tinto’s Annual General Meeting (AGM) at the Queen Elizabeth II Conference Center (QEII), in London, England.  Speakers included Susan LaFernier, vice-president of the Keweenaw Bay Indian Community (KBIC), Gabriel Caplett from Yellow Dog Summer and Northwoods Wilderness Recovery, and Cynthia Pryor, from the Yellow Dog Watershed Preserve.  Fran Whitman, from Friends of the Land of Keweenaw (FOLK), attended but was unable to speak in front of the assembly.

To the crowd of roughly 300 shareholders and journalists, LaFernier addressed the threat to Native American ceded treaty rights with the US government, from 1842 and 1954 treaties.  Rio Tinto chairman, Paul Skinner, interrupted LaFernier’s introduction, instructing the tribal leader to ask only one question, although a shareholder had just previously been able to ask three questions. Read the rest of this entry »

Leave a Comment » | Eagle Mine, Health, human rights, indigenous, Kennecott-Rio Tinto, Wisconsin, workers | Tagged: , , , , , , , | Permalink
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Kennecott Hides Potential for Deadly Tailings Disaster

March 23, 2008

by Gabriel Caplett

Magna, Utah  -  The Salt Lake Tribune is reporting that Kennecott Utah Copper Corp. has concealed, since 1988, the potential for an earthquake-caused major tailings disaster in Magna, Utah.  The tailings impoundment is located north of Magna and stores an estimated 1 billion tons of fine mine wastes.  In 1992, the company conducted a “risk assessment” to determine if full containment of the impoundment would be more expensive than legal costs associated with property damage and citizen deaths.

The Tribune has published a 1997 confidential memo, written by Ray D. Gardner, former Chief Legal Officer for Kennecott, that is critical of the company’s handling of the potential tailings disaster:  “Prior management’s decisions to disregard and conceal legal advice, forego public notice, attempt to establish a residential buffer surreptitiously, collude with the State Engineer to withhold the KL studies from the public, and restrict the distribution of the Reduction Study, collectively and individually, give the appearance of a conspiracy to cover-up a profound threat to public safety.” Read the rest of this entry »

5 Comments | Health, Kennecott-Rio Tinto, water pollution, workers | Tagged: , , , , , | Permalink
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Uranium Exploration in the UP

April 2, 2007

by Gabriel Caplett

Since opening its McArthur River uranium mine, in 1999, Cameco Corporation has been the world’s largest producer of uranium for use in power plants and weapons systems. While Canada supplies roughly 30% of the world’s uranium, McArthur provides 20% of the world’s supply and is the largest high-grade, underground uranium mine in the world.[1]

An April, 2003 cave-in and flood of radioactive water at McArthur stopped production for three months. Cameco admitted that consultant’s reports had warned of caving and flooding as the mine did not possess adequate water pumping and treatment capacity or proper contingency plans in the event of an accident. Cameco also conceded that their engineering used non-standard methodology and could not relate to standard industry practice.[2]

A Canadian Broadcasting Channel (CBC) report revealed that Cameco was expecting a flood months prior to the incident. Read the rest of this entry »

Leave a Comment » | cameco, Canada, indigenous, public land, uranium, water pollution, workers | Tagged: , , , , , , , | Permalink
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Metallic Sulfide Mining in Minnesota

April 2, 2007

by Gabriel Caplett

According to the Minnesota DNR, roughly a dozen mining companies are currently exploring for nonferrous metals in Northeastern Minnesota’s Duluth Mafic Complex.[1] The Duluth Complex is the largest undeveloped nonferrous deposit in the United States and borders the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness.[2]

PolyMet Mining Corp.’s NorthMet project, south of Babitt, is the largest undeveloped nonferrous mineral deposit in the US. The company owns a 100% leasehold interest in the 4,162 acre complex.[3] NorthMet is expected to commence extraction of platinum, palladium, gold, copper, nickel, cobalt, and silver in 2008.[4] Read the rest of this entry »

Leave a Comment » | Cliffs Natural Resources, Duluth Metals, Kennecott-Rio Tinto, Minnesota, PolyMet, public land, workers | Tagged: , , , , , | Permalink
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