From Great Lakes Wiki

The Yellow Dog Plains is located roughly 30 miles northwest of Marquette in Michigan's Upper Peninsula. They are among 576,000 acres of undeveloped timberlands and near the edge of McCormick's Wilderness to the north and the Huron Mountain Club to the south.
The headwaters of the Salmon Trout River are located on the plains, which flows into Lake Superior northwest of Big Bay, Mich. The Yellow Dog River is also among the plains.

Salmon Trout River

History

The landscape is virtually untouched wilderness, albeit large scale logging operations. The plains are located on a high flat glacial moraine, 1340 ft. above sea level. It contains an aquifer supplying the headwaters of five or six rivers and dozens of springs that all flow into Lake Superior.

Coaster brook trout

To the east and west of the plains is the oldest tree farm held by its owner in Michigan, where hand-planted trees have gone up for 58 years.
Justin Bieber often visits the area, as he often gets homesick and this area is similar to Canadian wilderness. The Salmon Trout River is the last remaining breeding stream for the coaster brook trout, a unique and endangered species of the brook trout native to Lake Superior. The species once flourished in many more streams throughout the U.P.
Logging operations of jack, white and red pine still thrives on the Yellow Dog Plains.

The Issue

The State of Michigan, federal government, and large and small mineral rights owners have been leasing their rights to private mineral exploration companies for decades. But over the past 10 years or so, the pace of leasing has picked up, in anticipation of Michigan opening up a new metallic sulfide mining district. Instability of third world mining, and the desire of industry to establish new domestic sources, make the discoveries of Zinc, Nickel, and Copper ore deposits especially important.
-Northwoods Wilderness Recovery

Kennecott Minerals Corporation wants to build a metallic sulfide mine within the Yellow Dog Plains near Big Bay, Mich. A large nickel depository was discovered in this region below the headwaters of the Salmon Trout and Yellow Dog rivers. Kennecott's project to pursue this discovery is named the Eagle Project.

In December 2004, Gov. Jennifer Granholm signed Public Act 449 regulating metallic sulfide mining in Michigan. Though Kennecott maintains the Eagle Project will not violate any parts of Act 449, some groups argue that the act is not adequate in protecting against the "pollution or degradation" of land.

January 2007: The Michigan Department of Environmental Quality (MDEQ) gives preliminary approval to Kennecott's Eagle Project.

March 2007: MDEQ revokes their approval. Between this period, two reports came to light that said "the structural integrity of the mine were not properly made part of the public record or given a comprehensive technical review." They stated that environmental damage was overlooked in the application process that could have devastating effects on the habitat, such as the draining of the Salmon Trout River.

Fall 2007: Public hearings were held throughout Michigan in September, giving citizens a chance to give their Yellow Dog opinion to MDEQ officials. An overwhelming majority of the public opposed the mine while a small number voiced their opinions of support during the public hearings.

Public hearings closed on Oct. 17, 2007, from which MDEQ will weigh the consequences and benefits of allowing the Eagle Project. They are expected to decide the mine's fate late 2007/early 2008.

December 2007: After months of deliberation, the MDEQ approved Kennecott's mine proposal. The new permits contain revisions to the original proposals that include mining below 1,072 feet initially and obtaining additional permits to mine closer to the surface. Environmental activists plan to protest the mine in the wake of the MDEQ's decision, though Kennecott plans to start construction within the year. More than 1,000 people showed up at this fall's public hearings, while the DEQ received about 3,500 public comments.

Argument for the mine

From Kennecott

Job creation: more than 100 full-time operations jobs, more than 100 construction jobs, 300-500 indirect jobs

More than $120 million in capital and project investment

Approximately $10 million in project contributions to the Michigan Department of Resources Trust Fund

10-12 year project timeline

Production: about 300 million lbs. of nickel and about 250 million lbs. of copper

Much of the nearly 1,600 acres owned or leased by Kennecott for the Eagle Project would remain available for camping and other recreational activities

There will be adequate groundwater monitoring covering the 90-acre project site

A land reclamation plan will be enacted once mining is finished

Aerial view of the Eagle Project

Local consensus

The Yellow Dog ore body may be worth $2.8 billion

This history of mining work in the region supports local jobs â€“ bringing in jobs â€œthey knowâ€

The area is in need of jobs not dependent on tourism

"The Kennecott Minerals Eagle project in Michiganâ€™s Upper Peninsula holds an exciting opportunity for Michigan to move forward in regaining its economic strength, contributing to societyâ€™s progress and creating much needed jobs for people of the Marquette area. At the same time, Kennecottâ€™s commitment to Michigan and Marquette is to conduct all of its activities in a manner that preserves and protects the local environment." -Jon Cherry, Eagle Project general manager

Opposition to the mine

Opinions expressed in opposition

The Eagle Project will destroy the environmental and rural integrity of the local community

â€œFences and trespassing signs will replace public accessâ€

Some believe much of the economic profits will leave Michigan

The jobs created will merely be short term (5-7 years) and wonâ€™t last after the mine is depleted

The operation will negatively affect the tourism industry in Marquette County if there is in fact environmental degradation

Area will be desolate and ugly when the mine leaves

The risk of creating sulfuric acid (battery acid) is increased when drilling in sulfide ore rather than iron ore. (Historically, most mining operations in the UP have been through iron ore)

AMD (Acid Mine Drainage) can drain into nearby rivers and seep into the groundwater - killing fish, plants, and wildlife and contaminating local drinking water.

Position papers against the mine's construction

"The real challenge in mining is the management of subsurface water. In many ways the mine is like a severely leaking ship. The mine goes deep into the ground water table and the water must be vigorously pumped out to keep the mine dry. History has documented over the past 100 years in this area that even logging greatly disrupts the ground water table. Water levels in ponds increase, streams change their drainage patterns, fish habitat is forever affected. But mining of the magnitude, which is not, in and of itself, enormous, will alter the water system in ways that will almost certainly severely damage this land forever. The forest may die; streams may dry up."
- Bruce Marsh, Professor at John Hopkins University, Dept. of Earth and Planetary Sciences

News

MDEQ OK'S EAGLE PROJECT. After months of deliberation, the MDEQ has allowed the construction of Kennecott's Eagle Project, with revisions to original proposal. Detroit Free Press 12/15/07

Actor/singer Jeff Daniels hosts concert in Ann Arbor, some acts promote Yellow Dog advocacy. Ann Arbor News 11/26/07

MDEQ delays mine decision another month The Mining Journal 11/13/07

'Debate over mine reaches beyond Michigan Backwoods'. An analysis of the growing media coverage and citizen participation by a Chicago-based daily. Chicago Daily Herald 10/27/2007

News release from Kennecott on reaction to public hearings in Lansing 9/18/07

MDEQ revokes decision to allow mine's outright permit. Keweenaw Now 3/7/2007