Most importantly, our elected officials need to know your mind on this issue. Please take the time to call or write your official today, as the federal lands of this country should not be opened up for quick exploitation. You can find your elected official by clicking on this website: http://www.house.gov/representatives/find/

Last year, YDWP was entered into a very similar fundraiser. The companies Moosejaw and Patagonia offered a single prize of $5,000 to the group who raised the most money in two weeks. YDWP had some pretty tough competition but our supporters ended up donating the most. We raised $12,000 and won the prize of an additional $5,000, equaling a total pot of $17,000! Our group used this money to purchase a 40 acre parcel that was adjacent to the McCormick Wilderness Area. This was a key parcel in maintaining public access to the wilderness area, in protecting uncut cedar forest, and in providing a buffer zone between federally protected land and private land.

This year, the online competition, known as the Earth Day Challenge, is hosted by the internet company Groupon. YDWP gets 30 days to raise as much as possible to reach 1st place. We know that our supporters will once again help us to the top and keep our work going.

Here is how you can help. Firstly, you can donate! Click on our fundraising page that is provided below and hit Donate. Secondly, you can start your own fundraising page that helps YDWP reach our goal by clicking Join the Team. Thirdly, please take time to send this link to your friends and family via email, Facebook, and Twitter. Help us reach a big audience! Wish us luck and help in any way you can!

http://www.crowdrise.com/yellowdog2012

Chuck Brumleve of KBIC and Emily Whittaker of YDWP sampling stream sediment in the Salmon-Trout River

“Air Quality is of prime importance to the people and community ofBigBay.” states Carla Champagne.  “We are directly downwind and no one – including Kennecott and the DEQ – knows what is currently in the air coming from this mine, or even more importantly, what will be coming from the one once they are in full operation.  There are no air monitors either at the mine or anywhere near BigBay.  We will be asking the Rio Tinto Board of Directors and their shareholders for a comprehensive air quality program to be installed in the region that will be regulated by the DEQ, monitored by DEQ approved third party scientists and all costs paid for by Kennecott.”

Cynthia Pryor considers this meeting an opportunity to express outrage at Kennecott’s new Air Quality application to remove the air filter controls from the Main Vent Air Raise which will exhaust all the underground mine workings.  “This 65 foot high stack sits within 150 feet of the Salmon Trout River.  We worked hard to get the air filter included as part of Kennecott’s original Air Quality permit as they intended the mine exhaust to be vented directly to the air.  Now, they are back pedaling and want this air filter to be removed.  We are vehemently opposed to such a notion and we wish to make this clear to the Rio Tinto Board.”

Rio Tinto filed their new Air Quality permit March 20, 2012 and the DEQ Air Quality Division is currently evaluating it.  Public hearings for this application have been requested for BigBayand Lansing.  The application is on the DEQ website at http://www.deq.state.mi.us/aps/AppsOfInterest.shtml.

By Gabriel Caplet of Headwaters News

Once again, the Army Corps of Engineers has objected to Kennecott’s planned ore hauling road, in Marquette County. The road project, formerly called “Woodland Road,” but now going by “County Road 595” and applied for by the county road commission, “is deficient in several areas,” according to a letter dated March 29, sent from the Corps’ Detroit office to the Environmental Protection Agency.

The letter makes clear that the “the primary beneficiary of the route as proposed would be Kennecott.” According to the Corps, 595 “is the most direct route from the Eagle Mine to Kennecott’s ore processing facility,” in Humboldt Township, so the road plan should be clear it would be built largely to service Kennecott’s mining operations.

In the letter, the Corps lists a number of other potential hauling routes that would be preferable to constructing 595, including rail options, something not considered in the application. Rehabilitating abandoned railways, the Corps writes, “in combination with selected road improvements and active railroad lines, may provide a potentially viable alternative for transportation of ore and timber, as well as improve road access from US-41 to the northern portion of Marquette County.”

At a meeting Tuesday, county commissioner Mike Quayle supported having Kennecott haul ore using a rail system, instead of constructing 595.

“The rail option is what Kennecott first applied for and, after the purchase of the Humboldt mill, changed their plan and wanted first to build the Woodland Road, abandoned that plan. . . as it appeared they would run into too much resistance from regulatory agencies,” said Quayle. ”Kennecott and local politicians came up with a proposal for the road commission to apply for virtually the same road, only changing the name to County Road 595.”

“Sixty percent of Marquette County roads and bridges are in need of repair and we have little or no money to do so. The road commission should worry about the. . . roads and bridges needed to be repaired rather than applying for a new 22 mile road that is virtually a mine hauling road and will add more costs to the. . . operating budget.”

Quayle supported the idea of using rail networks at a road commission meeting last January.

“Rail transportation, in my opinion, should be the first consideration to avoid safety issues now coming to the foreground and will help save the current road systems which we all know this type of hauling is very hard on,” Quayle said at the January 2011 meeting.

Kennecott’s originally submitted hauling plan involved trucking ore from the Eagle Mine to a railhead north of Marquette, then using rail to transport ore for processing.

In addition to rail possibilities, the Army Corps’ letter noted Kennecott’s currently approved hauling route (Big Bay to Marquette, using County Road 550) would look more feasible if the applicant considered constructing a bypass of the city of Marquette, through Marquette Township, another possible route not considered in the 595 plan. The township’s master plan already demonstrates a need for this specific road, which would divert heavy truck traffic from more populated urban areas.

According to the Corps a number of arguments in support of 595, including job creation, public safety, and recreational can’t be supported. The letter states, “Construction jobs would be created by any of the alternative routes, either through upgrades or new construction.” Additionally, while 595 would change the type of recreation in the area to one more focused on urban motor vehicle access, claims 595 would improve the recreational experience are “based on personal taste.”

A key argument used by county officials in support of the 595 plan – public safety – was refuted in the Corps’ letter. According to the letter, Kennecott is listed in the application as the primary user of emergency services in the area. By upgrading the Triple A road, the company’s own emergency personnel, as well as emergency services in nearby Big Bay, would have more efficient access to the region.

Despite statements that 595 has been needed by the county for years, the Corps found no evidence that the county has shown a need for a new road west of the Dead River Dam system prior to working with Kennecott on the project. The claimed need for a road west of the dams is heavily emphasized throughout the application, with an entire appendix of news articles focused on the 2003 flood of the Dead River. Yet, even during that catastrophic flood emergency personnel were able to reach the northwestern part of the county using an old bridge. Since 2010 that bridge has been replaced with one tall enough to withstand a complete failure of the dam system. This new bridge was not mentioned in the 595 application.

The Corps reiterated a concern the agency expressed about Kennecott’s original Woodland Road plan, in 2010, that construction of 595 could lead to additional mining and logging in the area. The 595 application states that without the new road the “full economic benefits” to the logging and mining industries “cannot be realized.” The Corps writes that the haul road plan must consider these foreseeable industrial activities as potential impacts if 595 were built.

The letter also stated that 595 would cause too great of harm to wetlands, wildlife, and rare and sensitive plants.

Following the Corps’ letter, the county road commission can now change its application to conform with federal legal requirements. That, combined with existing political pressure to build the haul road, may be the county’s only option now if it wants to get 595 approved and built for Kennecott.

To date the county has spent over $50,000 attempting to obtain permits for Kennecott’s road, in addition to securing state funding to use public revenue to fund portions of the hauling route not covered in the application, including a multi-million dollar road leading into the company’s processing facility. According to the road commission, if 595 is ultimately approved, public funding would also likely be used to upgrade a portion of the Triple A road connecting the Eagle Mine with 595.

Below is an image of one auction item that is priceless. It is a photograph of Miner’s Castle that is printed on aluminum and measures 3.5 by 4 feet in size. It is a once in a lifetime shot and worth every penny.  This item was graciously donated by Doug Loman. Visit the auction website to view more information and start the bidding https://www.biddingforgood.com/auction/AuctionHome.action?auctionId=153206786

The initial level of support for the project was voiced mainly by elected officials such as township supervisors, county representatives, and road commission board officials. There were also members of law enforcement and resource industry representatives supporting the construction of this road. Reasons for support included increased ability to respond to emergency calls from the remote area. However, that argument was countered later by an opponent of the road by noting that a road would actually increase the number of possible calls by opening up an area to more users. Additionally supporters of the project spoke out about the road’s important in increasing economic development in the form of timber and mineral extraction. 

As the hearing proceeded, more and more citizens stood up and voiced their opposition to County Road 595. Most of the comments in opposing related to the road’s actual intended purpose. In the permit application, the stated purpose is to provide increased emergency access, commercial, and recreational access. However, this project was proposed and applied for already in 2009 by a partnership that included Kennecott Eagle Mineral Company. The partnership called the project theWoodland Roadand devised a route connecting Kennecott’s Eagle Mine with Kennecott’s Humboldt Mill. The route ran for 22 miles starting at Eagle Rock on the Yellow Dog Plains, ran through four watersheds, impacted numerous wetlands and aquatic resources, and ended inHumboldtTownshipnear U.S. 41. The project met with much opposition from federal and state authorities since it impacted so many aquatic and terrestrial resources. Kennecott then withdrew their application in 2010 and began working with the Marquette County Road Commission on a new proposal. The road commission used theWoodland Roadroute and its supporting documentation and submitted it as a new project with a different stated purpose. Most everyone at the hearing, some who were even in support of the road, acknowledged that this really is still a haul road for Kennecott. Other individuals stated that recreation would in fact not be increased by the construction of the road. Some argued that the specifications of the road would not allow room for users to park along the road to recreate and it would be dangerous to do so with so much heavy traffic passing by.

Those who attended numbered to about 300. At least 60% who spoke out were not in favor of the proposed project. It was interesting to note the contrast in opinions from the community’s elected officials in support and the individual citizens in opposition. The MDEQ will use only comments directly relating to the application itself in their decision on whether to grant or deny the permit application.

Comments can still be made until March 2 in the following ways:

1. Written comments can be sent to:

Michigan Department of Environmental Quality
420 5th Street
Gwinn, MI 49841

2. Electronic comments can be sent to: http://www.deq.state.mi.us/lwmpnh/commentsform.asp?aid=11520075&at=ph

The Marquette County Road Commission has presented an application for a series of permits to the Michigan Department of Environmental Quality. The permit application proposes the construction of County Road 595,  a 21 mile road that would connect US-41 with County Road AAA.  The DEQ states in their press release, “…A significant goal of DEQ’s review is to solicit comments from the public, Department of Natural Resources and the United States Environmental Protection Agency on the reasonably foreseeable benefits and detriments of the proposed road, as well as feasible and prudent alternatives to achieve the purpose of the road.”

County Road 595 is almost identical to an application for the proposed “Woodland Road” submitted by Kennecott Eagle Minerals in 2009. The Woodland Road application was then withdrawn in May of 2010 after the project received criticism from state and federal agencies about its unnecessary impacts on water, wetlands, and fisheries. After the application was withdrawn, a “new” project was put forward that very closely resembles the original Woodland Road. This new project, County Road 595, was applied for by the County Road Commission as opposed to Kennecott. The potential negative impacts still exist at the same level as those voiced for the Woodland Road.

YDWP has numerous concerns about the construction of this county road. Click on the document below to get a basic understanding of some of the concerns.
CR 595 Comments

County residents are encouraged review the application information by clicking on either of the links:
http://www.michigan.gov/deq/0,4561,7-135-3307_29692_24403-269958–,00.html or
http://www.co.marquette.mi.us/departments/road_commission/county_road_595.htm

Concerns can be in voiced in any of three ways listed below:
1. Written public comments are accepted through March 2^nd and can be mailed to the
MDEQ
420 5th Street,
Gwinn, MI 49841

2. Electronic comments can be made by clicking on this link:
http://www.deq.state.mi.us/lwmpnh/commentsform.asp?aid=11520075&at=ph

3. Verbal comments can be made at the scheduled hearing in Ishpeming. Below is a map and address.
County Village Banquet Facility
1011 North Road
Ispheming, MI

County Village Banquet Facility

The deadline for completing the review of the application permits is JUNE 15^th and can be extended to JULY 9^th by mutual agreement of DEQ and Marquette County Road Commission.

For additional information, please contact Steve Casey, DEQ Water Resources Division at (906) 346-8535.

Presented By:

Julie Christiansen

Kennecott’s “Model” Mine Tests Find Significant Toxins

Flambeau Mining Co., a subsidiary of Kennecott Mineral Co., is showing high levels of toxic pollutants, 14 years after mining operations ceased. Flambeau was an open pit mine that operated from 1993-1997 and produced 181,000 tons of copper, 3.3 million ounces of silver and 334,000 ounces of gold. Kennecott has quoted Flambeau as a model of mineral removal with no evidence of environmental damage as well as “protecting the environment from adverse impact.” Officials from the DNR say they’ve been removing contaminated soil since 2003. The Water Resources Protection Council has filed a lawsuit in January 2011 to dispute Flambeau’s illegal dumping of toxic pollutants since 1998. The Wisconsin Mining Association has regarded the Flambeau mine as meeting the state standards of opening and closing under state law despite the non-existence of baseline water quality readings before mining even began.

Testing exposed 41% of 98 samples taken had two to four times more copper and zinc than standards allowed, set by the state to protect aquatic life. The DNR is deciding whether to classify the water as impaired, which would begin a process of cleaning up the stream, but in some cases would require property owners to pay for this procedure.

Philip Fauble, Mining Program Coordinator for the DNR stated “We weren’t aware of these elevated copper levels that were out there. Once they were detected, Flambeau took proactive steps to control this.” However, according to company documents, high copper levels were in fact discovered in 2003 on a rail spur during reconstruction of a roadway in the vicinity. Two feet of soil, about 7,400 tons were extracted. Flambeau’s reclamation plan includes removing about 1-acre pond area that has shown high levels of copper and zinc and has already spent about $20 million on reclaiming the property.

“It is important to note the elevated levels of toxicity, since this mine has been touted as an example that mining of this type can be done without degrading the environment,” says Emily Whittaker, Executive Director of the Yellow Dog Watershed Preserve. Other communities in the Great Lakes basin are looking at this situation with much interest, since there has been a fervent increase in mineral exploration and extraction applications. “Our group would like to see how our state agencies react to this and if it would change their perspective on whether new projects will live up to everyone’s expectations.”

To read a full article on this subject: http://www.jsonline.com/news/wisconsin/tests-find-toxins-at-flambeau-mine-133051073.html

 MARQUETTE, MICH. (December 12, 2011) – A coalition of groups is appealing a court decision that has allowed a dangerous mine to proceed in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula—despite the threat the mine poses to water quality, the Great Lakes and one of the region’s last spawning grounds for the coaster brook trout. 

 The Huron Mountain Club, Keweenaw Bay Indian Community, National Wildlife Federation and Yellow Dog Watershed Preserve filed the motion with the Michigan Court of Appeals over the weekend. The groups are opposing the mine on the grounds that it poses unacceptable risks to water and air quality—and that it could collapse, endangering workers and the river it is underneath.

 “This mine is the first to be permitted under Michigan’s new mining law, and we must ensure that the law’s protections of human health and the environment are honored and applied,” said Michelle Halley, attorney for the National Wildlife Federation. “So far, they have not been and that is why we are seeking leave to appeal. Many more mines are in the queue and this is a precedent-setting case.”

 The groups are appealing a decision by the Ingham County Circuit Court that allowed international mining company Rio Tinto to start mining activities on Eagle Rock—a site considered sacred to Native Americans.

 “It is very important to the Keweenaw Bay Indian Community to protect Eagle Rock as a sacred place,” said Chris Swartz, President, Keweenaw Bay Indian Community, “and we are hopeful that this appeal will result in the Court of Appeals reversing the decisions of the circuit court.”

 The type of mine being proposed—in which nickel and copper deposits are extracted from sulfide ores—poses severe risks to the environment. One byproduct of so-called “hard rock” or “sulfide ore” mining is sulfuric acid, which has proven deadly to rivers, streams and wildlife in other parts of the country. Rio Tinto, the company overseeing the project, has broken Clean Water Act laws dozens of times in mines they have controlled in other states.

 Now, the Michigan Court of Appeals will decide whether to take the case. There is no date by which the court must make its decision.

 “We will continue to put forth our concentrated efforts to ensure that this area remains unharmed and protected for everyone’s enjoyment, not just for special interests,” said Emily Whittaker, executive director of Yellow Dog Watershed Preserve.