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Sample Letter - (feel free to reword and/or add comments of you own):
Dear Mr. Wilson and Governor Granholm:
As a concerned citizen, I am deeply disturbed with the Michigan Department of Environmental Quality’s recent decision to tentatively approve the Kennecott Minerals Company’s permit application for sulfide mining on the Salmon Trout River. This mine poses a serious threat of acid mine drainage contamination to the Salmon Trout, a natural gem on Michigan’s Upper Peninsula.
The Salmon Trout’s pristine waters, clean air, scenery, and wildlife are irreplaceable assets for the nearby communities of the Upper Peninsula, whose economies are heavily dependent on the Salmon Trout and other nearby rivers for recreation-based income. The Salmon Trout River is home to one of the last known breeding grounds for the rare coaster brook trout. It is a popular destination for hunting, fishing, hiking, and skiing, and is also a valuable asset for the nearby Keweenaw Bay Indian Community.
If the area is opened for sulfide mining, the mine development would have an incredibly negative impact on the Salmon Trout’s headwaters. The potential of the project to create acid mine drainage is too great a risk for a river of the Salmon Trout’s quality. Furthermore, the establishment of the sulfide mine would set a dangerous precedent for the development of more, risky, sulfide mining in Michigan. Any acid mine drainage that was to leak into the surface or ground waters would deliver a sharp blow to the area’s recreation and agricultural economy, possibly contaminating the water for generations. Residents, anglers, campers and hikers, not to mention the great variety of wildlife, would all be negatively affected should any acid mine drainage seep into the Salmon Trout’s headwaters, or any of the other nearby rivers and streams.
Sulfide mining should not be permitted in the Salmon Trout watershed. The consequences are too great to ignore. I urge you to act in the interest of the Salmon Trout, the communities who depend on it, and on behalf of countless citizens who benefit from its recreational opportunities and stunning landscape. I urge you to reject sulfide mining on the Upper Peninsula and protect the Salmon Trout and the Great Lakes – Michigan’s crown jewels.
Thank you for your consideration.
Sincerely,
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