Conservation groups give states planning copper mines poor grades
May 10, 2012 at 7:00 pm in Duluth News Tribune
With a dozen or more new copper mines possible across the Lake Superior region, conservation groups Thursday gave mostly fair or poor grades to state and provincial efforts to protect the environment from mining harm.
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“But Ongaro said the mining industry is ready and willing to abide by all environmental laws in place”
That doesn’t mean they are going to- they are just ready and willing. They will look for the loop holes in the law, try to change the laws, and get their lobbiests to lessen the laws.
Hot debate. What do you think?
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You are correct about that tansey, especially as it applies to former U.S. Steel managers hired by PolyMet. We may disagree whether the copper-nickel mining should go forward, I support the mining, but the mine managers that PolyMet has in place need to go. They have a history of skirting the law, in all respects. Twin Metals is a different story, so let’s give them our unembroidered support. They will do it right, they have the right people in place.
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This is of such major concern that all people in this region should be demanding that these companies meet the strictest environmental laws we can impose and if not be denied access to the minerals. What is at stake here is the water shed of the boundary waters and Lake Superior. If anything less we will all pay for the failure to protect these natural resources we hold so dearly.
Hot debate. What do you think?
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One thing I have never seen in print- the new mining operations around Birch Lake near Ely- That water flows into White Iron, and Garden Lakes into the BW and into Canada- possibly Rainy Lake- I am not close to a map at this moment. If any of that mining residue leaks into the lake from above or under- that is where the flow is going to go- and where has this been talked about?
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Try Google Earth. You can see the discoloration and where it goes.
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Every time I view the comments on mining proposals, and anything in them regarding common sense regulation of these mining operations, I am amazed at the number of “dislike” check-offs. I have come to the conclusion this area must have a disproportionate share of completely uninformed minds, or people who just don’t care and would do anything for a few hundred jobs.
None of these resources are going away, they are all worth spending extra dollars to get out of the ground, and will continue to be financially viable into the future after spending the dollars to protect the environment. Implement and enforce approriate safeguards, and someone will always spend the money to do the mining. Stay away from the whining and on-the-cheap first comers, and we will all be happy.
Does no one in control have any courage and common sense in this state?
Hot debate. What do you think?
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Global mining companies have “work arounds” to ‘get round” environmental regulations that they don’t like. Historically, they haven’t been able to control pollution from acid mine drainage anywhere and make a profit. Only a few million tons of useful metal would be extracted from billions of tons of sulfide ores that would be taken from NE MN lands of forests and lakes. Minnesota is preparing to sacrifice water quality, public health, wild rice and natural habitiat of all sorts for a bunch of empty and dangerous promises. Good luck kids.
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Actual report is Here: http://www.nwf.org/~/media/PDFs/Regional/Great-Lakes/Final%20Sulfide%20Mining%20Regulation%20in%20the%20Great%20Lakes%20Region.ashx
Why there isn’t a link to the actual report in the story i don’t know.
But anyway, the actual report did not seem to be as harsh as the press release sounded. Though the report did complain a lot about individual citizens being required to have standing to bring action against mine operators. That is just the way the legal system works, a person must be directly affected by an action in order to bring it to court.
Another common complaint was lack of citizen inspections, of course an average citizen is not going to be allowed to walk in and inspect the facility for two reasons:
1: Safety. A person not familiar with mining safety training runs a good risk of getting hurt. MSHAW training is 1-2 days long.
2: Expertise. Even if an average citizen were to be permitted to walk around the site inspecting for environmental dangers, would they even know what they were looking for? I know I wouldn’t unless it was a big pile of green sludge with 4 ninja turtles crawling out of it.
Though the report does mention a few things that would be a good idea to address, such as Michigan’s financing of post operations cleanup. A good portion of the report however reads like the states have not implemented the environmental groups wishlist, and this is their report card.
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Relatively clean air and water is about the only thing northern MN really has going for it. If we muck that up, what’s left for us?
What always amazes me is that a whole lotta folks that claim to be so worried about leaving our future generations saddled with government financial debt, don’t seem to be the least bit concerned about leaving them a planet that’s uninhabitable. And all for the sake of corporations making money.
Maybe we should just leave some of these resources in the ground and let future generations control them. Perhaps, they’ll be smart enough to do it the right way.
If not, at least let them destroy it themselves and quit giving them such a huge head start.
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