Join us in opposing a Canadian company's plan
to turn this beautiful region into a "SACRIFICE ZONE"
Ancient Roman copper mines continue to pollute nearly 2000 years later —
No one ever hears about tailings dams until they go wrong.
But when they fail, the results can be catastrophic.
It's just a 15-second drive from the mine entrance road to the "most beautiful State Park in America."
In their preparations alone, Highland Copper has already been fined for violating permits and degrading wetlands.
At least one of the affected streams is home to an endangered species.
The data show that more than a third of all tailings dams are at high risk of causing catastrophic damage. There are already multiple instances of serious failures.
In a rush to fulfill their permit obligations, Highland Copper races through clearcutting and so-called "wetlands mitigation" — basically, destroying established wetlands in one area, then dumping some water and planting cattails in another.
Less than a quarter mile from the North Country Trail, Highland Copper has begun clearcutting to prepare for their tailings disposal facility, which will hold 50+ million tons of waste rock on topography that slopes into Lake Superior.
The North Country Trail, Porcupine Mountains State Park, and Copperwood Mine, all in the space of a 45 second drive.
As we come to live on a hotter, drier planet — in which wars are being fought over access to water, in which many American cities import water from hundreds of miles away — does it really make sense to endanger Lake Superior, which represents 10% of the world's surface freshwater?
The Big Lake provides drinking water to multiple cities, states, and countries. Its waters are so clean that the more adventurous drink it without filtration. Whereas copper's value is based on a price, Lake Superior is priceless— not because it has no value, but because its value is infinite.
Unfortunately, calculators have no "infinity" button, so some confused accountants are trying to tell us it's worth contaminating the Lake for a bit of shiny metal...
But we know better.
But the area is impoverished in the first place because it has relied for too long on the boom-and-bust cycle of mining. Furthermore, mines of today are not like mines of the past — these days they are predominantly automated and employ only a few specialized individuals. To take as an example, Eagle Mine in Marquette County employs fewer than 80 individuals.
Should the health of the Lake, the forest, and the human community really be sacrificed for a few jobs which will dry up as soon as the mine closes and the CEO is sitting on his cash pile back in Quebec?
Currently, outdoor recreation contributes $11 billion annually to Michigan's economy; mining contributes $1 billion. That's more than a 10x difference. It's clear which industry should have priority.
The Porkies are the largest tract of mixed old growth forest remaining in the Midwest. Just last year, they were ranked by users of Yelp.com as "the most spectacular State Park in America."
Can you imagine how this thriving recreational area will be affected by sound pollution, light pollution, air pollution, and non-stop industrial traffic?
Say goodbye to those five-star reviews...
The ProtectThePorkies team lays it all out in an hour-long interview on WORT 89.9 FM
Canadian company Highland Copper Inc. wants to drill under the Presque Isle River to seize minerals from directly beneath Porcupine Mountains State Park, the largest tract of mixed old growth forest remaining in the Midwest.
Unlike the White Pine North Mine (closed 1997 due to environmental concerns) which consisted of ore graded at 20% purity, Copperwood's ore grade is estimated at only 1.5%, meaning that nearly 99% of mined material will be stored as 50+ million tons of heavy-metal laden waste rock on topography that slopes towards Lake Superior. Toxins of concern include mercury, arsenic, selenium, and lead. The data show that more than a third of tailings dams are at high risk of causing catastrophic damage to nearby communities if they crumble, and there are already multiple instances of serious failures.
In addition to destroying 50+ acres of wetlands and forever altering the course of 5 streams, the project would be permitted to dump half a million gallons of wastewater per day into Namebinag Creek, which empties into Lake Superior. Namebinag Creek is also home to populations of Redside Dace, classified in Michigan as an Endangered Species requiring legal protection.
The operation would likely lead to audible rock grinding and subterranean blasts using toxic ammonium nitrate which would be felt for miles around (see slide 8), both on the North Country Trail and in the Presque Isle Scenic Area of the State Park, and possibly even at Black River Harbor. As with the development of Eagle Mine in Marquette County, we can expect non-stop industrial traffic on County Road 519, heavy metal-laden dust from exhaust vents which travels far from its source on the wind, and light pollution of the night skies, one of the most cherished aspects of the Presque Isle Campground. Given that the Copperwood is a metallic sulfide mine, there remain concerns regarding acid mine drainage — an irreversible contamination of wetlands and waterways.
Minerals are important, but so is common sense. Regardless of how one feels about the role of mining in society, we must all agree on a basic point: some locations are worse than others, and this one's as bad as it gets. The area is home to multiple fresh water resources, a unique old growth ecosystem, and a thriving eco-tourism industry where visitors come from far and wide seeking pristine nature. Is it really worth jeopardizing all this when copper is not even on the list of critical minerals?
Canadian company Highland Copper is a junior exploration company with zero experience opening and operating a mine, which already has a track record of violating permits and degrading wetlands. But they aren't letting that slow them down: even though they lack key permits related to stream alterations and engineering of their tailings disposal facility, they have already begun their "summer site prep" of clearcutting and wetlands destruction.
The situation may seem dire, but...
Other movements have been successful with less than a tenth of what we're fighting for: a world-famous State Park home a unique old-growth ecosystem; a historic hiking trail — the longest national trail in the country — and of course Lake Superior, the largest and wildest of the Great Lakes, representing 10% of the world's surface freshwater.
Protecting the health of these spectacular resources is an issue that should unite everyone, regardless of politics, race, and religion. But we won't win through good reasons on paper — we'll win by taking action.
Please reach us at ProtectThePorkies@gmail.com if you cannot find an answer below.
Canadian company Highland Copper is a junior exploration company with ZERO EXPERIENCE owning and operating a mine.
Should we really entrust the care of Michigan's finest natural resources to an inexperienced foreign company which already has a track record of violating permits and degrading wetlands?
In a recent press release, Highland Copper claimed they have "all key permits required to proceed." They may "hold" a mining permit, but in Michigan, these mining permits are "Issued, but not Effective" until financial assurances and bonding have been secured (which they have not done), as well as final engineering and permit approvals for the tailings disposal facility (nope, not even engineered yet), as well as the dam safety permit for the dam (again—not even engineered yet), which would be the only thing standing between the tailings facility and a disaster flooding into Lake Superior. This is currently the most upsetting aspect of this project: Michigan EGLE uses "incremental permitting," which means the forest that was just destroyed and the creeks they plan to permanently "re-align" as part of their "wetlands permit" may be sacrificed for nothing if Highland Copper fails to meet the remaining requirements to have the mine permit "Made Effective."
Furthermore, the operation of the mine will require an enormous amount of water. Their initial proposal called for water to be pumped in directly from Lake Superior, but this required permission from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. The Corps refused to grant this permission (a huge red flag about the safety of the project) and so Highland Copper has scrambled together a new "plan," the details of which are still unclear: will they take water directly from the streams, which begin to run very dry in summer and fall? Or will they build an on-site basin? Given that all these streams flow into Lake Superior, shouldn't their new proposal also require input from the Army Corps of Engineers? Alas, the "plan" is too vague for anyone to make a clear argument either way.
But in the meantime, insider sources tell us they are "in a rush" to fulfill their existing permit obligations, and so this summer they race to clearcut hundreds of acres and destroy wetlands before their permits expire. If they don't manage to build their mine — an outcome we think is highly likely — then it means they are devastating this region for no reason.
Some speculate that what Highland Copper is really seeking is to sell the operation to a more capable company. If so, now is an excellent opportunity to build public opposition and undermine investor/future buyer confidence.
Over the course of its 14-year life, the mine would certainly create jobs, but not as many as you might think. Unlike mines of the past which employed thousands, mines today are predominantly automated, and the human jobs which remain are often of a specialized nature. For comparison, the Eagle Mine in Marquette County is operated by less than 80 employees: "Mining jobs are vulnerable to the highs and lows of market fluctuations, including layoffs."
Even if the mine did create a significant amount of work, an important point remains: jobs alone have no merit. The warfare industry also creates a great many employment opportunities, but we would never make the case that "war is good because it creates jobs." Instead, we would hold a more nuanced position and examine each case individually: some wars may be necessary, but others are a very bad idea, and no amount of jobs in the world should justify a war which is immoral. Similarly, drug-trafficking provides employment for many thousands, including not just traffickers, mules, and dealers, but also for law enforcement officers, prison guards, attorneys, judges and more. Regardless, we oppose drug-trafficking on moral grounds, despite its job creation.
We are not comparing mining to these activities precisely, but the principle is the same, and there is an equally strong moral argument to made for protecting the old growth forest, a cherished national hiking trail, a prized fishing river, and a priceless freshwater sea, because there is not just money on the line here, but health, both of the biosphere and we humans who rely upon it.
Another factor which must be considered is the relation between time-frame and accountability. The boom-and-bust cycle of mine operation is appealing in the short-term but often destructive when viewed through a wider lens. It's far easier to spill the wine than clean up the stain: when the mine closes, who will pay if the tailings dam bursts or if the waterways are contaminated by heavy metals? Certainly not Highland Copper CEO Denis Miville-Deschenes — no, he'll be back in Quebec. Instead, as always, the bill for clean-up will be footed by locals, paying both in the form of taxes and physical wellbeing.
While on the topic of economics, we must also ask to what degree the mine's development will endanger an already existing and highly profitable eco-tourism industry. Given that the foundation of eco-tourism is access to pristine nature, we cannot expect that the presence of the mine will escape the notice of tourists, for reasons already mentioned. In less than a one-minute drive, visitors will pass from the North Country Trail to Porcupine Mountains State Park, with Chopperwood's entrance road crammed in between. Waterfalls may not be so beautiful if in order to reach them you must slog through mining traffic; birdsong not so sweet with the grinding of ore in the background; nor camping so enchanting with the stars faded in the night sky. It is logical to assume that the "most spectacular State Park in the country" may fall from grace in the eyes of internet reviewers, and thus lead to decreased visits overall. And so Chopperwood's meager job creation must be weighed against its damage upon the far more stable and long-lasting industry of eco-tourism.
In the end, the main jobs created by Chopperwood will be those of environmental clean-up many years later, long after the money has been made and the chief executives have fled back to Canada.
As for green energy, any enterprise which threatens so many valuable natural resources cannot be labeled as "green" without stripping the word of all meaning.
The development and operation of the mine would require an enormous quantity of fossil fuel, far more than will ever be compensated for by the extraction of copper, which just recently was rejected an upgrade of status to "critical mineral" by the US Geological Society, the highest authority on the matter.
Given that there is no electrical grid in the area, Highland Copper plans to power their operation through a fleet of 24/7 gas generators, and the transport and processing of the ore will require an untold quantity of additional fuel. By the time the copper is made into a useable technology — only a fraction of which will be related to alternative energy — will anyone really be crunching the numbers to see if it was worth it? No, the only numbers they'll be tracking are not those of their emissions, but that other green stuff, the kind they say doesn't grow on trees.
Chopperwood Mine will drill under the Presque Isle River and seize minerals from beneath the largest tract of mixed old growth forest remaining in the Midwest; it will store 50+ million tons of waste rock on topography that slopes towards Lake Superior, which represents 10% of the world's surface freshwater; it will extract sulfides buried deep in the earth and expose them to air and water, thus creating sulfuric acid (battery acid), which will forever be a threat to waterways.
The argument that such an operation is somehow "green" is so laughable that it does not merit further discussion.
Though the Eagle Mine in Marquette County has been touted by the mining industry as proof that a metallic sulfide mine can be operate safely, the truth is far from clean.
VIOLATIONS
Pollution by the Eagle Mine and accompanying Humboldt Mill has been documented by the Michigan Department of Environmental Quality (MDEQ), the Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes and Energy (EGLE), and also the Superior Watershed Partnership. There are multiple documented violations related to the inability of the water treatment plant to meet Whole Effluent Toxicity (WET) tests. In June 2019, EGLE reported on a spill of influent water that released 2360 gallons of untreated mine wastewater into nearby wetlands and mentioned a spill of sulfuric acid that occurred in 2019.
A study by Michigan Technological University (Lafreniere et al., 2018) reported on the chemical analysis of samples from groundwater monitoring wells near the Eagle Mine and Humboldt Mill between May 2008 and August 2016. The study documented exceedances of EPA National Primary Drinking Water Regulations and EPA Secondary Drinking Water Standards for arsenic, chloride and nitrate in groundwater in the vicinity of the Eagle Mine, and for sulfate in groundwater near Humbolt Mill.
In 2023, EPA Secondary Drinking Water Standards were exceeded for iron and manganese in the groundwater near Humboldt Mill. In fact, for groundwater near the mill, every detectable measure of manganese exceeded the EPA Standard.
The Superior Watershed Partnership reported 36 violations of allowable pH and 39 violations of allowable vanadium according to groundwater discharge permits. In 2015, the permits were modified so that all preceding violations became non-violations. This is a common tactic: when they catch you breaking the rules, just change the rules.
Furthermore, the development of Eagle Mine has led to Eagle Rock, an ancient sacred site among the Ojibwe people, being placed off-limits behind private fencing.
MORE INFORMATION:
Join us today, and spread the word far and wide! We are not an organization, but a MOVEMENT.
Your contributions assist greatly with our mission.
Protect the Porkies
Copyright © 2023 Protect the Porkies - All Rights Reserved.
Powered by GoDaddy