Groups make last-ditch legal effort to block Kennecott mine

Opponents of a nickel and copper mine that is slated to begin blasting this month have asked a judge to issue an injunction on drilling while she considers an appeal of permits granted for the project.

The Huron Mountain Club, Keweenaw Bay Indian Community, National Wildlife Federation and Yellow Dog Watershed Preserve say that the Dept. of Natural Resources ignored their own experts during the permitting process.

The groups warn that acid runoff from the mine is likely to impact Lake Superior and destroy habitat for the rare coastal brook trout.

They also argue that mining at the site will destroy Eagle Rock, a 60-foot-high outcrop on the Yellow Dog Plain that holds cultural significance for the Keweenaw Bay Indian Community.

“My people have prayed and held ceremonies at Eagle Rock since time immemorial,” Susan LaFerniere, a member of the Keweenaw Bay Indian Community said in a statement Thursday. “No one should be allowed to blast it apart. I hope the judge grants this request.”

Michigan’s mining law forbids activities that damage places of worship but in a controversial 11th hour decision last year the DNR approved the project, stating that only buildings are to be considered places of worship.

Former Upper Peninsula congressman Bart Stupak has warned that Michigan is not prepared to regulate Kennecott’s mining project.

Last year he said that Kennecott’s parent company, Rio Tinto, is known for cutting corners on environmental and safety matters and that a $17 million assurance bond put up by the company would not be enough to deal with damage that the mine could create.

Responsibility for regulating operations at this massive project falls entirely to the state and DEQ officials have acknowledged that may not not be able to inspect the mine even once a year.