We've received confirmation that tomorrow (Wednesday, December 11th) at 9 a.m. EST the Michigan House Appropriations Committee will be considering and very likely voting on the $50 million grant of taxpayer revenue to the proposed Copperwood Mine.
The meeting is open to the public. Those who are able to attend in person are strongly encouraged to do so. A big showing will deliver a powerful message. If there was ever a time for a roadtrip to Lansing, it's now!
DETAILS
Wednesday, December 11th @ 9 a.m. EST
Room 352, State Capitol Building — House Appropriations Room
You may find a few talking points below for those wishing to deliver spoken testimony (fill out a testimony card at the beginning of the meeting).
1. The Transfer Request claims that infrastructure improvements will be of benefit to "the surrounding community." But given that there are no permanent human residents within five miles of the mine site, what community are they referring to, exactly? County Road 519 is already a year-round road so community can access the State Park any day of the year.
2. The Transfer Request claims that "over $62 million will be generated through the Michigan Severance Tax" (which is paid specifically by mining companies to compensate the State for the permanent loss of minerals). Thus, a $50 million grant is tantamount to an 80% nullification of the Severance Tax. To quote Sen. John Cherry, "Like the Saudis paying us to take their oil."
3. According to the mining company's 2023 Feasibility Report, the copper would be shipped to Quebec, Ontario, Europe, or Asia, with no promise of return, and thus is irrelevant to Michigan's electrification goals.
4. The main justification for the grant is "jobs for an impoverished community." But the mine would last just 11 years, and the grant text itself defines a "new job" as lasting for "six months," with many going to "specialized non-residents." The grant text states that the project hopes to coincide with the closure of Eagle Mine in order to leverage the talent pool -- but lateral transfer from another county is not job growth. Additionally, the company projected 250 jobs five years ago; now they're projecting 380 -- if they were wrong then, why trust them now? These numbers are entirely speculative.
5. The company's lobbyist is claiming they will not mine beneath Porcupine Mountains State Park, despite company maps and notes from a January 2024 meeting between the company and the DNR proving otherwise: "The latter part of the project would include mine tunneling from outside the state park boundary to reach the mineral deposit underneath Section 5," which is part of the State Park.
6. This week the Keweenaw Bay Indian Community sent a letter to both the House and Senate Approps Committees stating, "In the short time that Highland Copper has operated in the Western Upper Peninsula, it has twice disregarded the requirement to obtain a permit," in reference to incidents in 2017 and 2023. Additionally, "Highland Copper misrepresented their performance history during an October 23, 2024 presentation to Tribal Council." The conclusion: "Michigan should not use its SOAR funding to subsidize Highland Copper's irresponsible mining operations."
7. This is in keeping with other misrepresentations. Two weeks ago on social media the mining company listed Northern Michigan University as a supporter, despite the fact that President Brock Tessman rescinded his letter of support months ago. Recent corporate presentations showed "Dundee Precious Metals" as a top investor, despite the fact that the company had divested.
8. Highland Copper is not a mining company. They have never developed or operated a mine. After ten years, the free market has chosen not to endorse this project. Why should Michigan bail out an inexperienced foreign company to make their first attempt at metallic sulfide mining right next door to our most beloved State Park and in unprecedented proximity to Lake Superior?
9. In 2023, the company sold off 66% of its shares of the White Pine North project to another Canadian company, Kinterra, and thus became a minority shareholder. They may very well seek to do the same with Copperwood. Thus, the State does not even know who would be the ultimate recipient of the funds.
10. The mining company's CEO has said the subsidy would not just be a financial boost but a "true endorsement." The company plans to tout the grant funds as an official Michigan endorsement in order to trigger an avalanche of fresh private investment. Although the grant text is written to distance the decision from the ultimate consequences -- stating that the infrastructure will help the community with or without the mine -- the fact is that endorsing the project makes its development more likely by an order of magnitude.