3 minute action to protect Lake Superior / Oct. 4th Jingle Dress Dance
Any day now Michigan’s enviro-regulatory agency EGLE will announce whether they will issue a permit to allow the proposed Copperwood Mine to dump over a billion gallons of contaminated mine wastewater into the habitat of a state endangered fish (the redside dace) and on into Lake Superior next to Porcupine Mountains Wilderness State Park.
Both the mining company and EGLE initially claimed that no redside dace exist downstream from the discharge site (the mining company even went so far as to claim no aquatic life period). We got EGLE to admit in a public hearing that they were wrong: in fact the endangered redside dace has been observed directly downstream from the discharge site, along with many other species of fish. That the entity responsible for such a crucial decision has struggled to grasp such a basic fact is alarming to say the least.
We’ve given EGLE ample reason to deny the permit — chiefly, that the company could utilize Zero Liquid Discharge technology to evaporate all wastewater and transport toxic solids to a hazardous waste facility — but we need to remind them in these final days that the world is watching.
Please send a fast email or make a phone call to these top decisionmakers at EGLE. You’ll find a sample message below. Thank you.
OUTREACH TARGETS
Jerrod Sanders, Director of the Water Resources Division
Phone: 269-350-1801
Email: SandersJ3@Michigan.gov
Phillip Roos, Director of EGLE
Phone: 517-284-6700
Email: RoosP@michigan.gov
SAMPLE MESSAGE
“I’m writing/calling today to urge EGLE to deny the wastewater discharge permit to Highland Copper. If approved, the permit would threaten a state endangered fish, the redside dace, which requires streams of low flow and high ice production that would be disrupted by such a quantity of wastewater. It would also violate the Anti-Degradation Rule by not taking account of feasible alternatives like Zero Liquid Discharge.
Thousands of people are watching this decision. If EGLE approves a permit to a widely opposed, foreign owned mine immediately adjacent to the Porcupine Mountains, which would degrade the habitat of a legally protected fish and contaminate the waters of Lake Superior even though feasible alternatives like Zero Liquid Discharge have been presented, it will shatter public confidence in the agency’s abilities to protect Michigan’s lands and waters.
Please deny the permit. Thank you.”
To emphasize, our goal continues to be the ultimate defeat of Copperwood and the permanent protection of these lands and waters. But challenging this permit achieves two goals: 1) it slows down the project to drain their funding; 2) if the mine does advance, it will be a better case scenario.
OCT. 4TH JINGLE DRESS DANCE
The Animikiiwadiswan resistance encampment continues for just two more weekends. It’s been a great time, with many important connections made. You can still join us for the next two weekends.
The encampment will conclude with an Anishinaabe Jingle Dress Dance on Sunday, October 4th at 2pm Central Time in the Presque Isle Scenic Area of the State Park. This traditional dance is being held to honor the Land, Water, and Lifeforms, whose wellbeing is intrinsically entangled with our own.
The gathering will also feature speakers and a potluck feast, so please bring a dish (along with reusable dishware). Please bring friends and family.
*** All Jingle Dress Dancers are invited to participate.
In solidarity,
Tom and the Protect the Porkies Team
Protect the Porkies is a volunteer-run initiative operating in a remote, rural location. Your donations are essential to our mission.