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The Michigan Messenger going forward

By Staff Report | 11.16.11

I am writing today to announce the closure of the Michigan Messenger. After four years of operation in Michigan, the board of the American Independent News Network, has decided to shift publication of its news into a single site, The American Independent at Americanindependent.com. This is part of a shift in strategy, towards new forms [...]

Colorado-based abstinence program provided false and misleading information to Michigan students

HIV-AIDS-small
By Todd A. Heywood | 11.16.11

An abstinence-only presentation provided to numerous school districts in Calhoun and Eaton Counties in October of this year provided false and misleading information to students about HIV, experts allege.

Class action lawsuit filed against MERS over unpaid taxes

foreclosure
By Todd A. Heywood | 11.15.11

Two county registers of deeds filed a class action lawsuit Monday on behalf of Michigan’s 83 counties alleging that the Mortgage Electronic Registration Services owes millions of dollars in property title transfer taxes.

Schuette fights important mercury regulations

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By Eartha Jane Melzer | 11.14.11

Despite evidence of the impact of mercury on children and public health, Michigan Attorney General Bill Schuette last month joined with 24 other state attorneys general in filing a lawsuit to scuttle new EPA regulations that would reduce mercury emissions from power plants.

photo courtesy Save the Wild UP
photo courtesy Save the Wild UP

Env. group asks Snyder to stop U.P. mine

By Ed Brayton | 03.30.11 | 7:52 am

A newly formed group called WAVE is asking Gov. Rick Snyder to halt construction of a new nickel sulfide mine in the Upper Peninsula to prevent environmental damage that the mine will cause.

The mine is owned by Kennecott Minerals, a subsidiary of Rio Tinto, and it has been extremely controversial not only because of the environmental threats but also because it exists on the site called Eagle Rock that is considered sacred by local Native American tribes.

WAVE wants Snyder to take action, saying in a press release:

Representatives of WAVE, a new grassroots environmental coalition, met today with Greg Andrews, Governor Snyder’s Upper Peninsula representative. They brought a letter to the governor, calling for an immediate halt to construction of the Eagle Mine on the Yellow Dog Plains.

WAVE asks that EPA mining experts prepare an impact study that encompasses all aspects of the Eagle Project, including mining, transport, and milling of ore. WAVE contends that the environmental impact statement funded and prepared by Kennecott Minerals did not meet the requirements of the new law regulating nonferrous metallic sulfide mining in Michigan.

Accompanying the letter were petitions signed by over 15,000 persons, including doctors and health care professionals who oppose development of the mine because of the risks posed to the region’s water resources and to the health of people dependent upon it…

Parker explained that the choice facing the Governor—whether to halt the mine’s development or allow the portal to be blasted—will impact the health of people in the Upper Great Lakes Region. She continued, “This is Governor Snyder’s opportunity to take a long term view of what is best for Michigan’s citizens and not jump at the fast money and short term economic gain represented by the Eagle Mine’s development.”

Two of Snyder’s closest advisers, Bill Rustem and Dennis Muchmore, have ties to the Kennecott mine. Rustem’s firm lobbied for the project and Muchmore’s wife Deb does PR work for the company.

Kennecott is facing a lawsuit in Wisconsin over water pollution from a closed mine they own there.

Comments

  • Anonymous

    The “Parker” you just read about is our daughter Catherine, operating independently, and I’m proud of her stand and her presentation.

    I’m an ancient mining engineer and think a little differently, in that I would like to see mining in the UP – but only if it is done responsibly. Having studied Kennecott plans for the last five years I see clearly that that is not their intent. For example, they intend to extract only the high grade ore, currently worth more than a thousand dollars a ton – and run off to London with the proceeds – $4,700,000,000 worth of metals over a period of about 6 years. They will leave behind about $1,700,000,000 worth of lower-grade ore which, if blended with the highgrade, would extend the life of the mine from six years to more than twenty.

    Our DNR should denounce that plan as constituting irresponsible recovery of the resource – but they do not.

    As you may have heard – we find that Kennecott’s mine design is based on cooked data and faulty techniques which, if followed, would lead to a collapse of the crown pillar and caving at surface, under a branch of the Salmon Trout River, a prized trout stream.

    Those are just two of the worst problems with their plan. Kennecott does not contest or look into our findings – they just ignore them, which is probably the smart thing to do. Until the problems show up. Then, to pay for losses and damage done and cost of restoration, they have set aside the magnificent sum of 17 million dollars out of that 4,700 million dollars they intend to make off with.

    These figures may not be accurate. They have not been updated as more ore was found.

    But Kate and I agree on this – that the project ought to be taken out of the hands of Kennecott and under more responsible management – to benefit the miners, the local economy, the pitiful state economy – and the environment.

    All in favor write to editors, and to our employees – Messrs Casperson, Huuki, Bennie and Snyder, urging them to resolve the problems.

    Thank you. cj.

  • Anonymous

    The “Parker” you just read about is our daughter Catherine, operating independently, and I’m proud of her stand and her presentation.

    I’m an ancient mining engineer and think a little differently, in that I would like to see mining in the UP – but only if it is done responsibly. Having studied Kennecott plans for the last five years I see clearly that that is not their intent. For example, they intend to extract only the high grade ore, currently worth more than a thousand dollars a ton – and run with the proceeds – $4,700,000,000 worth of metals over a period of about 6 years. They will leave behind about $1,700,000,000 worth of lower-grade ore which, if blended with the highgrade, would extend the life of the mine from six years to more than twenty.

    Our DNR should denounce that plan as constituting irresponsible recovery of the resource – but they do not.

    As you may have heard – we find that Kennecott’s mine design is based on cooked data and faulty techniques which, if followed, would lead to a collapse of the crown pillar and caving at surface, under a branch of the Salmon Trout River, a prized trout stream.

    Those are just two of the worst problems with their plan. Kennecott does not contest or look into our findings – they just ignore them, which is probably the smart thing to do. Until the problems show up. Then, to pay for losses and damage done and cost of restoration, they have set aside the magnificent sum of 17 million dollars out of that 4,700 million dollars they intend to make off with.

    These figures may not be accurate, they have not been updated as they found more ore.

    So Kate and I agree on this – that the project ought to be taken out of the hands of Kennecott and into more responsible management – to benefit the miners, the local economy, the pitiful state economy – and the environment.

    All in favor write to editors, and to Messrs Casperson, Huuki, Bennie and Snyder, urging them to resolve these problems

    Thank you.

  • http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=1580611162 Betsy Rose

    Looks like a ethical conflict of interest. “Two of Snyder’s closest advisers, Bill Rustem and Dennis Muchmore, have ties to the Kennecott mine. Rustem’s firm lobbied for the project and Muchmore’s wife Deb does PR work for the company. ” Ethical these people are not. They will do as they please in this new Nazi dictatorship.

Categories & Tags: Environment/Energy| | | | | |