MDEQ gives permits “final” approval
Two days before the Michigan Department of Environmental Quality ceases to exist, a statement was issued giving “final approval” of mining permits that were being contested by Huron Mountain Club, National Wildlife Federation, Yellow Dog Watershed Preserve, and Keweenaw Bay Indian Community. The approval was given before the administrative law judge had submitted a clarification of his ruling. The MDEQ stated the judge’s ruling was not needed since it pertained to Eagle Rock as a place of worship. They believe that a place of worship must be a building and therefore negates comments that were not in favor of the mining company.
The four co-petitioners have indicated that an appeal to circuit court will be made. However, the company purports that construction and clearing will begin this year, even though they do NOT have their Underground Injection Control permit from the U.S Environmental Protection Agency. The former MDNR stated that they cannot begin construction until Kennecott has received this permit.
Cynthia Pryor, of the Yellow Dog Watershed Preserve, stated, ” This is an egregious act that now will absolutely require appeal to a higher court and should require an appeal to the new DNRE Director Rebecca Humphries and the Governor of this state. We should not sit by and accept such action as the accepted mode of “lawfulness” in this state.”
Please call the office of the Governor and lodge your complaint: 517 373-3400 or 517 335-7858.
Letters can be sent to:
Governor Jennifer M. Granholm
P.O. Box 30013
Lansing, Michigan 48909
PHONE: (517) 373-3400
PHONE: (517) 335-7858 – Constituent Services
FAX:(517) 335-6863
Topic: news, sulfide mining Tags: eagle rock, mdeq, mdnr, permits, sulfide mining
January 21st, 2010 at 9:05 am
[...] be a building and therefore negates comments that were not in favor of the mining company,” explains the Yellow Dog Watershed Preserve, who works along side the Keweenaw Bay Indian Community and others opposed to the [...]
May 11th, 2010 at 1:43 pm
Good Day All. I have just learned of the egregious “LawLESSness” of our State’s MDNRE in your region. I am here in the Waterloo State Recreation Area where thirty acres of Deed Resticted land (i.e. land use must be used exclusively for “public park, recreation and conservation purposes”), have been leased by “our” MDNRE to an aggrgate industry.
Who regulates the MDNRE?
Who let the fox in the henhouse?