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PETITION TEXT
30+ million tons of toxic mine waste stored on topography sloping towards Lake Superior.
An inexperienced foreign company which already has a negative environmental track record wants to develop the closest metallic sulfide mine to Lake Superior in history. All copper sulfide mines contaminate, and the risk of tailings dams ruptures is increasing. Lake Superior represents 10% of the world’s surface freshwater. The combination of these facts alone is more than sufficient grounds to adamantly oppose the project.
But we’re just getting started.
Ore grade map clearly indicates that the best copper is closest to the Lake. For now the company plans to mine up to 100ft from the lakeshore but has expressed interest in mining beneath the Lake itself if permits can be acquired (p16-13).
The proposed Copperwood Mine would also be immediately adjacent to the North Country Trail — the longest of all national hiking trails — and Porcupine Mountains Wilderness, recently ranked as the most beautiful State Park in the country. Influences such as light pollution, rock-grinding, non-stop industrial traffic, and underground blasting may not politely halt at private property borders but instead radiate out in all directions, disrupting the experience of visitors in one of the most beloved outdoor recreation areas in the Midwest.
A metallic sulfide mine at the juncture of a freshwater sea and an old-growth wilderness park... need we say more?
Without need for further information, most sane folk will agree this is a terrible location for such an operation, which would only be considered for the most urgent of reasons. So do the gains outweigh the harms?
Consider that the mine would run for only 10.7 years. Consider thatcopper is not even a critical mineral, having been recently denied an upgrade of status by the U.S. Geological Survey, the highest authority on the matter. Consider that the copper-concentrate will be shipped out of countryfor processing(to Quebec, Ontario, Europe, or Asia; p19-3), so many of the best-paying jobs won’t go to Michiganders, nor even to Americans. Consider also that, contrary to widely held assumptions, copper mines are far more likely to harm the economy of rural areas. To quote Harvard Economics Professor James Stock, former advisor to President Obama “In 89% of cases copper mining ends up being a negative for jobs and a negative for incomes."
All in all, a cost-benefits analysis must conclude that it is simply not worth it. Those who agree with this conclusion are invited to sign the petition now; otherwise, read on for more detail.
CONTAMINATION RISKS AND CERTAINTIES
Before continuing, we should clarify that, although Copperwood is branded as a “copper mine,” in fact copper would comprise only 1.45% of what comes out of the ground. For every ton extracted material, only 29 pounds will be copper, and 1,971 pounds will be waste, laden with sulfides and heavy metals, requiring on-site storage, forever, in a 323-acre tailings facility measuring 171 feet high, erected on topography sloping towards Lake Superior, 10% of the world’s surface freshwater.
Mine waste containment facilities are far from invincible. In fact, research shows that Serious and Very Serious failures are actually increasing in frequency, specifically due to the unwieldy quantity of waste generated by marginal mines like Copperwood. There have been many high-profile collapses at mines following strict environmental regulations in both “developed” and “developing” countries. These disasters are not only environmentally devastating, but cleanup costs can soar into the billions of dollars, with the bill quite often footed by taxpayers.
Amidst an already alarming trend of increasing dam failures, Copperwood’s designs raise additional concerns:
Since the mine would run for just 10.7 years, the infrastructure has been designed to anticipate only 1-in-100 year storm events (see comment 52, and others), despite the fact that there have been two 1-in-1000 year storm events in the immediate area in just the last decade(1, 2).The TDF would be erected at the juncture of streams which have been rerouted into unnatural and highly unstable angles. What would happen if, during spring snowmelt when those rerouted streams are already swollen, another thousand-year storm strikes, resulting in flooding and rapid erosion right at the base of 30+ million tons of mine waste?And because the TDF would be situated on topography sloping towards Lake Superior, if there were to be a rupture, we know exactly where the waste would flow.
The tailings disposal facility, holding 30+ million tons of mine waste laden with toxins such as mercury, arsenic, cadmium, selenium, and lead, would be erected in a water-rich environment, at the juncture of streams rerouted into unstable angles, and on topography sloping towards Lake Superior.
But even assuming the dam holds, copper sulfide mines are guaranteed to contaminate. A 2012 study reviewed the track record of 14 operating copper sulfide mines responsible for 89% of U.S. copper production and found that 92% failed to control mine waste seepage and 100% experienced spills. To quote Dave Blouin of the Sierra Club, “These are some of the largest mining companies in the world working under American regulations designed to protect us, and yet they all failed.”
Eventually the mine may even seek to drill beneath the majestic Presque Isle River.
HARMS TO OUTDOOR RECREATION
The mine’s infrastructure would be a literal stone’s throw from the North Country Trail, a cornerstone of North Woods heritage. This company map reveals that new scenic landmarks would include sewage lagoons, explosives plants, rerouted streams, and that tailings disposal facility, measuring 244 football fields in area and 20 feet taller than the Statue of Liberty from toes to torch-tip in height, so massive that it would be visible from Copper Peak and the Lake of the Clouds Overlook (comment #35).
The mine would also be immediately adjacent to Porcupine Mountains Wilderness, which, in addition to being themost beautiful State Park in the country, holds the largest mixed coniferous-deciduous old growth forest remaining in the Midwest. Because the State Park doesn't own its mineral rights, the company is even planning to mine beneath Section 5 of Park property. Once this precedent is set, "permit creep" may eventually result in mining deeper within Park boundaries, even on the other side of the Presque Isle River.
The company plans to mine beneath Section 5 of State Park property; but eventually, "permit creep" may result in mining deeper into public lands.
The mine’s entrance road would would be a 30-second drive to the North Country Trail parking lot and a 15-second drive to the Porcupine Mountains State Park entrance sign. It would subject one of the most beloved outdoor recreation areas in the country to rock-grinding, exhaust discharge, non-stop industrial traffic, and underground blasting. The mine would be the only source of artificial lighting within a 5-mile radius, and, whether or not downward facing lights are employed, a degradation of stargazing and northern lights viewing should be expected. Finally, the 25-mile rollout of the electrical grid, the expansion of cell phone coverage, and the calls for “temporary” employee housing will provide the foundation for on-going development long after the 10.7 year mine life expires, right in the buffer zone of mainland Michigan’s largest designated Wilderness Area.
In 2022, outdoor recreation contributed $12.36 billion to Michigan’s economy; mining, less than 10% of that total. Why should a 10.7-year boom-and-bust foreign enterprise be permitted to disrupt strong-and-sustained outdoor recreation by undermining the access to pristine nature which is its foundation?
The 323-acre waste facility — 244 football fields in area and 171 feet in height — will be visible from Copper Peak, the North Country Trail, and the Lake of the Clouds Overlook.
BUT WHAT ABOUT JOBS?
Some may be willing to overlook even the gravest of concerns for the sake of “revitalizing the area’s economy,” but that this would occur is an unfounded assumption not in keeping with a wealth of research. The most comprehensive study ever conducted on the impacts of mining on rural economies examined “literally all of the relevant quantitative findings” and found that roughly half of all cases led to negative outcomes, with only 29% of cases being positive, and most of those coming from before 1982. The study concludes, "There is surprisingly little evidence that mining will bring about economic good times, while there is a good deal of evidence for expecting just the opposite."
Granted, that research is now twenty years old, but should we expect that increased mechanization and automation in the industry will have improved the situation? Quite the opposite. A 2020 study revealed that the impacts have worsened, especially in areas which depend on outdoor recreation. To quote Harvard Economics Professor James Stock, former advisor to President Obama: "Mining increases jobs initially but after a while the adverse effects kick in because of the effect on tourism and the amenity economy. In 89% of cases copper mining ends up being a negative for jobs and a negative for incomes."
CONCLUSION
No one should be entrusted with developing a metallic sulfide mine in such extreme proximity to both Lake Superior and a designated Wilderness Area, least of all an inexperienced foreign company with ZERO experience operating a mine and which has already been fined for degrading wetlands. They are, quite simply, the wrong guys for the wrong job at the wrong place.
The petition signers are not calling for a moratorium on all mining, nor are we stating that the industry is inherently evil. We are merely exercising what is called common sense. Just as we would not allow a maximum security prison next door to a pre-school, we should not entertain a metallic sulfide mine at the juncture of a historic hiking trail, a designated Wilderness Area, and a freshwater sea. This is not a controversial view.
And at a time when the world is getting hotter and drier — in which armed conflicts are being fought over access to freshwater, in which many cities must ship it in from hundreds of miles away, in which Michigan's own "Healthy Climate Plan" calls for the protection of 30% of the state's land and water by 2030— we must do everything in our power to protect Lake Superior, the largest freshwater lake on Earth.
Lake Superior, the largest freshwater sea on Earth and the headwaters of all the Great Lakes
The petition signers kindly ask the mining company to leave of their own accord. But assuming their departure will not be voluntary, we request that no future private, State, or Federal capital be invested in the project. Additionally,we urge Michigan Governor Whitmer and Attorney General Nessel to file a formal petition for review of the Copperwood project. You will find multiple points to begin your investigation in this video, as well as in Parts VI and VII the full petition text.
A most suitable resolution would be the incorporation of the mining lands into either the State Park or the National Forest, which already surround the property on three sides, or the acquisition by an independent conservation group.The stretch of wild coastline connecting Black River Harbor to the Porcupine Mountains must become a contiguous protected area, both for the health of Lake Superior and to avoid ecosystem fragmentation. Only then can we ensure that the health of our air, water, and soil, as well as the right of humans to enjoy a moment of peace in Nature, is safe from the hands of future profiteers.
Signed,WE THE PEOPLE
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PLEASE NOTE: While donations to promote the petition are appreciated, funds givendirectly to the campaign allow for far more flexible and constructive use.
