MARQUETTE -- The Department of Environmental Quality (MDEQ) Water Resources Division is receiving comments on the application by Orvana Resources US Corporation for a permit under Part 301 Inland Lakes and Streams and Part 303 Wetland Protection, of the Natural Resources and Environmental Protection Act, 1994 PA 451, as amended, in order to dredge and fill wetlands and streams for the purpose of constructing their proposed Copperwood mine for copper and silver -- including an access road, mine entrance, mill, tailings basin (tailings to be disposed on site and above ground) and related structures.
The project is located northwest of Camp 7 Grade and County Road 519 near Wakefield, Michigan, not far from the Porcupine Mountains Wilderness State Park.
A public hearing on the permit was held on June 28, 2012.* The deadline for comments is next Sunday, July 8, 2012. Keweenaw Now, in error (now corrected), previously posted the deadline as coinciding with the June 28 air permit deadline; but we learned at the hearing that the deadline for the Part 301 Inland Lakes and Streams and Part 303 Wetland Protection permit is actually ten days after that hearing.
Since July 8 falls on a Sunday, "As long as the remarks are postmarked or emailed on or before July 8, they will be considered timely," Steve Casey, MDEQ Water Resources Division district supervisor of the Upper Peninsula District Office, told Keweenaw Now today.
A description of the impacts on streams and more than 58 acres of wetland is given in the Notice of Public Hearing on the DEQ Web site.
Click here for the Orvana Permit Application and more details.
UPDATE:
Click here to submit comments on line. You can also submit written comments on the Part 301 and Part 303 permit directly to the decision maker: James Caron, Department of Environmental Quality Crystal Falls Office, 1420 US2, Crystal Falls, MI 49920 or email him at CARONJ@michigan.gov or phone 906-875-2071.
* Editor's Note: Watch for an article on the June 28, 2012, hearing, coming soon.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
No comments:
Post a Comment