The 906 Report: Copperwood Opponents Establish Resistance Encampment

By Mark Doremus*, with videos and additional photos and updates by Keweenaw Now

Article posted August 19, 2026, on The 906 Report and reprinted here with permission

Activists gather at Camp Animikiiwadiswan (Thunderbird Nest) to protect a sacred area of Michigan's Upper Peninsula.

Early arrivals gather at the encampment in the Ottawa National Forest on Friday, Aug. 14. Click on photos for larger versions. (Photo from video by Mark Doremus.)

Native Americans and their non-native allies have established an encampment just south of the proposed Copperwood mine in the western Upper Peninsula of Michigan.

Charlotte Loonsfoot (Waabanong-ikwe), an Anishinaabe Ojibwe environmental activist and executive vice-president of Protect the Porkies, is lead organizer of the camp, along with Tom Grotewohl of Protect the Porkies and Guy Reiter (Anahkwet), a Menominee community organizer.

The encampment was established along the North Country Trail in the Ottawa National Forest. It's just a few hundred yards from the site of the proposed Copperwood mine, near the Porcupine Mountains Wilderness State Park (Porkies) and north of the city of Wakefield.

A sign near the North Country Trail and the location of the encampment. (Photo by John Peiffer for Keweenaw Now)

Resisting the Copperwood mine

"We have come to set up a place to come together and help spread the word about the mine and the horrible things that will happen if there's a leak or anything," Loonsfoot said. "And I don't know any mine that has not leaked, especially copper and nickel." 

Charlotte Loonsfoot finds a seat by the fire at the encampment on Aug. 14. (Photo from video by Mark Doremus).

As the name implies, the Copperwood has identified copper as its primary resource, with silver as a secondary product.

The mine facilities would occupy more than 500 acres and would impinge on lands where the Ojibwe have treaty rights to hunt, gather and fish on federal lands.

In an interview with Charlotte Loonsfoot on August 14, the  opening day of the intertribal camp to protest the Copperwood Mine, Mark Doremus of The 906 Report asks Loonsfoot about treaty rights. (Video by John Peiffer for Keweenaw Now)

"This is our land," Loonsfoot said. "This is our our beautiful Mother Earth, and she provides for us everything that we need. Every plant on this Earth is medicine, and I work with medicines. And you know, what's going to happen if everything's polluted? All our animals and plants are going to die. Our water, all the fish, the little creatures in the water are going to die, and then we're going to die."

Mine opponents say 40 million tons of waste material, including mill tailings polluted with toxic metals, would be stored in a disposal facility and could reach Lake Superior if the containment dam ruptured. Even in normal operations, the mine would discharge up to 500,000 gallons of treated wastewater into streams every day.

"In my heart, I will die for the water," Loonsfoot said. "I will, because that's the most important thing that we need to survive. Everything needs to survive. We can't live three days without water. Why would they want to come in and pollute it?"

Mine opponents also warn that the project would bring air, noise and light pollution, heavy truck traffic and habitat fragmentation to an unspoiled corner of the Upper Peninsula, which is home to a diverse wildlife population and one of the last old-growth forests in Michigan.

In the August 14 interview by Mark Doremus of The 906 Report, Charlotte Loonsfoot of the Keweenaw Bay Indian Community (KBIC) speaks about what would be lost to the environment should the Copperwood Mine be built near the Porcupine Mountains Wilderness State Park and surroundings as well as the loss of tourism that is important to the economy. (Video by John Peiffer for Keweenaw Now)

"If we don't help and have a voice for the animals and the plants and the water, then people will just keep coming in and destroying it and killing it," Loonsfoot said. "And my thing is, no more new mining. You got enough mines here. You know, leave it alone."

Highland Copper has already disrupted wetlands and re-routed Gypsy Creek during site preparation at the Copperwood mine. This aerial photograph shows how the creek was diverted to make room for a future 320-acre tailings disposal area. (Photo from The 906 Report courtesy Ryan Nagy.)

The encampment is also a chance for activists from around the Midwest to strategize and build personal relationships that support long-term collaborations.

"We want to make a statement and we want to show that people of all tribes, people of different backgrounds, different states are uniting to say that this mine is a terrible idea," said Tom Grotewohl of Protect the Porkies. 

Grotewohl is a co-organizer of the resistance camp. An outspoken opponent of the Copperwood mine for several years, Grotewohl told Keweenaw Now about the Tribal Action Committee working with Protect the Porkies.

During the August 14 opening of the resistance camp located on the North Country Trail in the Ottawa National Forest, Tom Grotewohl of Protect the Porkies tells Keweenaw Now how his group is supporting the intertribal camp. (Video by Keweenaw Now)

Collaborations between Native Americans and non-natives have strengthened campaigns to oppose mining projects in the United States because they bring different political tools and resources to the table. 

Tom Grotewohl of Protect the Porkies sets the mood with a flute as sunset approaches the encampment. (Photo from video by Mark Doremus.)

"Somehow, the native people have lived here for thousands of years without poisoning the land and the water," Grotewohl said. "Meanwhile, white folk, in just a matter of a few generations, have completely trashed the place and made it so we're afraid to eat our own food. We're afraid to drink from the the streams. We're afraid to breathe the air in some cases. So it's really common sense that we should be looking towards the tribal people for leadership in setting up the encampment." 

Reconnecting with the natural world 

The encampment is an opportunity to educate the public about the proposed Copperwood mine, but it also has a broader purpose. It also allows participants to connect physically and spiritually with the woodlands of the Upper Peninsula.

"It's one thing to see a potential mine project on a piece of paper or on a website, but it's another to actually be on the land that it's going to potentially destroy," said Guy Reiter (Anahkwet) of the Menominee tribe. "We're building relationship again with this land. Even though we've been here for thousands of years, it is still important for us to to come out, put our feet on the ground, and get connected."

Guy Reiter at the encampment. (Photo from video by Mark Doremus.)

Besides visiting the camp on August 14 and 15, Reiter and others from the Menominee tribe spent time enjoying the nearby Porcupine Mountains Wilderness State Park.

Dawn Wilber, co-organizer of the annual Menominee Canoe Journey on the Menominee River in opposition to the projected Back 40 sulfide mine for gold and other metals, commented on the visit.

"I felt it was important for us to be present at the beginning of the ANIMIKIIWADISWAN (Thunderbird Nest) encampment, to stand in solidarity and show our support and collaboration with this group of Water Protectors," Wilber said. "As Water Protectors, our responsibility does not stop at the waterways that are sacred or important to our own communities. Water is precious everywhere, and when water is threatened anywhere, it affects all of us. We stand together because protecting water is something we all share a responsibility for."

Dawn Wilber, right, and Jwin Zillier of the Menominee Tribe pause for a photo near the Presque Isle River in the Porkies during their visit. (Photo courtesy Dawn Wilber)
 

Menominee tribal members Dawn Wilber, fourth from right, and Jwin Zillier, second from right, join Guy Reiter, far left, and his son, Opehtaw Reiter, along with two visitors from the Twin Cities, for a photo during their visit to the Porkies last weekend. (Photo courtesy Dawn Wilber)

Highland Copper Co., Inc., still seeks funding

Highland Copper Co., Inc., and its supporters have been pursuing a $50 million Michigan state infrastructure grant to support the Copperwood mine since early 2023. The proposal failed to gain legislative approval three times due to opposition from Protect the Porkies and other stakeholders. Highland has indicated that it still hopes for financial support from the state.

UPDATE/ ALERT:

In fact, at 9 a.m. this Tuesday, August 25, the Michigan Strategic Fund (MSF) board will again take up that proposed $50 million grant to support the Copperwood mine, according to a story in the Detroit News. The meeting will be held in-person at the principal office location of the MEDC building located at 300 North Washington Square, Lansing, MI 48913. 

The meeting will also be on Zoom. Here is the Zoom link:

https://michiganbusiness.zoom.us/j/89941203531
Webinar ID: 899 4120 3531
Dial-In: (929) 205-6099

Members of the public wishing to speak virtually during the meeting must submit their registration on the MSF Public Comment Page at least three hours prior to the 9 a.m. start time.

Those who attend the meeting in person do not have to pre-register.

UPDATE: Details on the proposed grant should be available if and when meeting materials are posted online 24-48 hours before the Tuesday meeting. A request was made to MEDC (Michigan Economic Development Corporation) to post such documents before the meeting, but they have refused to make these available before the meeting. 

A $50 million grant for Copperwood mine infrastructure was approved by the Michigan Strategic Fund board but failed to win final approval in the State Senate in 2024. That grant, and a later earmark request, which also failed, would have funded road improvements, power upgrades and telecommunications improvements in Wakefield Township, where the mine would be located.

Those who attend the meeting in person do not have to pre-register.

If you wish to make a comment to the MSF Board, see protecttheporkies.com or their Facebook page, for talking points and more info on the Copperwood mine.

Highland is also looking for a $250 million loan from the U.S. Export-Import Bank to help finance the $425 million cost of the Copperwood project.**

Protect the Porkies has launched a letter-writing campaign to discourage lawmakers and bureaucrats from supporting the project with those grants and loans, and to prevent renewal of a state water discharge permit for the mine.

UPDATE, August 24, 2026: You may wish to contact legislators and local "leaders" on this list of coalition members of a new group just announced today by Invest UP. They support Copperwood and the Eagle Mine, claiming "broad support." The article states the following: "A new coalition of more than 130 local leaders, labor unions, business leaders and Upper Peninsula residents today announced the launch of 'Our U.P., Our Future,' a movement dedicated to championing the creation of jobs and opportunities for the U.P. while protecting the region’s natural resources. The coalition includes all six of the state legislators representing the U.P., underscoring broad support for the effort across the region." (See: https://www.investupmi.com/our-up-our-future/) 

The county sheriff and a forest ranger dropped by to offer a few fire safety tips and to encourage organizers to "call us if you need us." (Photo from video by Mark Doremus.)

Organizers say more than forty people showed up for the encampment over the weekend of Aug. 14-16. The camp resumed on the weekend of Aug. 21-23.

"This weekend there were approximately 30 people, from Wakefield, Bessemer, Ironwood, Houghton, Iron Mountain, Madison, Chicago, Big Rapids, Traverse City, and others," Tom Grotewohl told Keweenaw Now on Sunday evening, Aug. 23.

Charlotte Loonsfoot noted visitors this second weekend also came from Watersmeet, Mole Lake, the Sault nation and KBIC.

Here are some photos from Saturday, Aug. 22:

Visitors gather at the resistance encampment in the Ottawa National Forest on Aug. 22, 2026. (Photo © and courtesy Marisa Van Zile)

A table at the encampment offers visitors information about the threats of the Copperwood mne. (Photo © and courtesy Marisa Van Zile)

Come to the camp and you may get to taste some yummy fry bread and chili! (Photo © and courtesy Marisa Van Zile)

Baby Blue, Charlotte Loonsfoot's adorable puppy, will entertain you with his endless energy and sweet disposition! (Photo © and courtesy Charlotte Loonsfoot)

The encampment is expected to resume Friday, Aug. 28, for the weekend of Aug. 28-30.*** 

Charlotte Loonsfoot (Waabanong-ikwe) is an enrolled tribal member of the Keweenaw Bay Indian Community (KBIC) in Michigan's Upper Peninsula. She is an an Anishinaabe (Ojibwe)  environmental activist, water protector and community organizer who plays a leading role in regional anti-mining movements.

Guy Reiter (Anahkwet) is a traditional Menominee organizer, water protector, activist and writer. He lives on the Menominee Indian Reservation in northeastern Wisconsin and serves as a prominent leader in regional environmental and Indigenous sovereignty movements.

Tom Grotewohl is an environmental activist, filmmaker and the founder and president of the grassroots coalition Protect the Porkies.

Research for this report was AI-assisted.

Editor's Notes:

* Author Mark Doremus is a journalist and videographer who writes and publishes The 906 Report, an independent media publication that covers mining projects, mining history, and local developments in Michigan's Upper Peninsula (named after the region's 906 area code).

** See Protect the Porkies.com for maps, photos, details on the Copperwood mine and ways to take action. See also their Facebook page.

*** See https://protecttheporkies.com/encampment for updates.

Porkies Protected! Grassroots effort stops $50M mine subsidy at last minute

This map shows how close the Copperwood Mine would be to the Porcupine Mountains State Park and Lake Superior. Note the diagram in the lower left corner of the map. CLICK ON MAP for a larger image. (Map courtesy Protect the Porkies)

From: Upper Peninsula Environmental Coalition (UPEC)

In 2025 the Protect the Porkies campaign -- a UPEC member organization -- has been mobilizing to prevent the approval of 50 million taxpayer dollars to fund the preliminary infrastructure necessary for the proposed Copperwood Mine to advance. 

Copperwood is a proposed copper sulfide mine, which would share a border with the western portion of Porcupine Mountains State Park -- mainland Michigan's largest old growth wilderness area -- with metallic sulfide waste containing dangerous heavy metals to be stored in unprecedented proximity to Lake Superior.

View of Lake Superior next to Porcupine Mountains State Park. (Photo © Sol Anzorena and courtesy Protect the Porkies)

This same funding was halted twice last year in the Michigan Senate Appropriations Committee but was reintroduced on April 23rd of this year by Rep. Greg Markkanen, now rebranded as a "community infrastructure" grant for Wakefield Township. The infrastructure in question -- cell towers, heavy industrial roads, and power grid -- would've been rolled out into an uninhabited area for the exclusive purpose of advancing the mine.

Protect the Porkies organized a sign-on letter of 230 local residents and 100+ organizations to oppose the funding, including the Michigan League of Women Voters, the Michigan Environmental Council, and the Michigan chapter of the Sierra Club. The two closest Michigan Tribal Nations -- the Keweenaw Bay Indian Community (KBIC) and the Lac Vieux Desert Band of Lake Superior Chippewa -- both submitted their own letters of opposition.* Two trips were made to Lansing this year in close collaboration with Citizens for a Safe and Clean Lake Superior: the first, to educate lawmakers; and the second, to hold a rally protesting the Michigan House's approval of the funding in August.**

View of the Lake of the Clouds, located in the Porcupine Mountains State Park. If the Copperwood Mine goes through, the environment -- as well as the spectacular view of this lake -- could be jeopardized by the huge pile of tailings (mining waste) Copperwood would produce and store nearby. (Photo © Bryan Mitchell and courtesy Protect the Porkies)*** 

Despite these efforts, shortly before the official Michigan budget deadline of October 1st, it was learned that Governor Whitmer was pushing for the item's inclusion in the budget, and Senator Elissa Slotkin publicly endorsed the Copperwood Mine. Sources in Lansing were reporting that the funding had indeed been included. But during overtime budget negotiations, a renewed rallying cry from the Protect the Porkies campaign resulted in a surge of Michigan residents reaching out to lawmakers, until both the House and Senate agreed to eliminate the controversial proposal.

"Lawmakers weighed all sides of the issue and decided that rolling out infrastructure into an uninhabited area to help an inexperienced foreign mining company was not a good use of taxpayer funding," said Tom Grotewohl, founder of the Protect the Porkies campaign. "We fully support state money coming to Gogebic County -- but let it fund locally-owned businesses and other endeavors that do not export our wealth out of the area at the expense of the environment. This is a win for everyone, both ecologically and economically."

Although the funding was not included in the budget signed by the Governor, the mine may still advance through private investment. And source close to the campaign assert that the $50 million request will be reintroduced as a budget supplemental later this year.

So get ready for Round Four! For more information, visit www.ProtectThePorkies.com and see Protect the Porkies on Facebook for updates on thanking organizations and legislators for opposing the $50 million funding.

Celebrate at the October 22 Protect the Porkies party

All are invited to join Protect the Porkies for a celebration at the Ore Dock brewery in Marquette, from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. on Wednesday, October 22. It will include a few speakers, but mainly live music from some of the wonderful artists from their Songwriting Contest --including the winners! There will be poetry, a coloring station for children (and anyone else who wants to color nature scenes), and more. 

Editor's Notes:

* CLICK HERE to read the letter of opposition from the Keweenaw Bay Indian Community (KBIC).

** See the Sept. 17, 2025, Keweenaw Now article by Protect the Porkies, "UPDATED: Citizens march against funding for Copperwood Mine."  

*** CLICK HERE to read the "Preliminary Dam Breach Inundation Analysis for the Copperwood Project" by scientists of the Great Lakes Indian Fish and Wildlife Commission (GLIFWC). They found that modeled failures could release tailings that reach Lake Superior in less than an hour, could contaminate the Presque Isle River in less than 1.5 hours, and could affect the underground mine entrance and other mine infrastructure. In addition, they note that a tailings flood in parts of the Porcupine Mountains Wilderness could reach up to 14 m high in parts of the flooded areas.

Letter: Tribal members, allies carry water 31 miles in response to Copperwood Mine

Participants in the Sept. 14, 2024, Gichigaming Water Walk arrive at the shore of Lake Superior in Porcupine Mountains Wilderness State Park, adjacent to the proposed Copperwood Mine site, at the conclusion of their 31-mile Walk. (Photo © Sol Anzorena and courtesy Protect the Porkies)

The Gichigaming Water Walk was Gogebic County’s largest environmental justice event in over a decade. On September 14, 2024, members from multiple Tribal Nations along with non-Native allies carried water 31 miles from the town of Ironwood, Mich., to the shore of Lake Superior in the Presque Isle Scenic Area of Porcupine Mountains Wilderness State Park. The Gichigaming Water Walk was a collaboration between Tribal Members and the Protect The Porkies campaign and was held in response to the proposed Copperwood Mine, which if developed would share a border on two sides with Porcupine Mountains Wilderness State Park and erect the closest metallic sulfide waste facility to Lake Superior in history.

Around 60 participants gathered beside the Montreal River at the Michigan/Wisconsin state line, a starting point chosen to symbolize that both water and its contamination know no borders. As the procession passed along Highway 2 through the towns of Bessemer and Wakefield and continued down County Road 519, the number of participants swelled to more than 80. Among them were members from the Keweenaw Bay Indian Community, Lac Vieux Desert, Bad River, Red Cliff, the Menominee, Lac du Flambeau, Lac Courte Oreilles, and Little Traverse Bay band, as well as faculty and students from the Native American Studies and Environmental Studies departments at Northern Michigan University. Residents of Michigan, Wisconsin, and Minnesota were in attendance, along with many residents from towns throughout Gogebic County.

Water Walkers enter Porcupine Mountains Wilderness State Park. (Photo © Sol Anzorena and courtesy Protect the Porkies)

Although the Gichigaming Water Walk was held in response to the proposed Copperwood Mine -- a Canadian company's plan to ship Michigan's copper out of country and leave behind over 30+ million tons of mine waste containing mercury and arsenic next to Lake Superior -- it's important to note that the event was not a protest. Water Walks are a Native American ceremony held to honor the connection to the Land, the Lifeforms, and the Water which connects us all together. The first Water Walk was a procession around the entirety of Lake Superior held twenty-one years ago by Grandmother Josephine (Josephine Mandamin), who passed her teachings directly on to the organizers of Saturday's event, including Edith Bardo, former Bad River Tribal Historic Preservation Officer (THPO), and Siobhan Marks of the Lac Courte Oreilles band.

"As Native people, we recognize the Earth as our Mother, and her lifeblood is the Nibi that runs through her veins as rivers, lakes, streams and oceans. Extracting her for profit while risking the health and well-being of our lands, water, and all of creation is a serious offense to our Mother and the Creator. That is why we walk in prayer for her and for our Water." -- Siobhan Marks / Zeegwun Noodinese, Descendent of Lac Courte Oreilles Band of Lake Superior Chippewa

Charlotte Loonsfoot, Water Protector from the Keweenaw Bay Indian Community (Photo courtesy Charlotte Loonsfoot) 

The Gichigaming Water Walk unfolded peacefully, but it was not without its hecklers. At one point in the town of Wakefield, a man on a motorcycle accused a Native American participant of being a "paid protestor" who "isn't from here" and "needs to get a job." When informed that 98.55 percent of all extracted material from the Copperwood Mine would not be copper but waste, the individual replied, "And how exactly do you know that?"  thus highlighting the general lack of public knowledge regarding the Mine, which is typically supported on the basis of "jobs" without concern for water contamination, disruption to outdoor recreation, and the perpetuation of the boom-and-bust cycle shown by multiple studies to leave communities more impoverished after mines close than before they open (1, 2). But when offered a pamphlet to learn more, the man replied adamantly, "I won't read it."

"Today we hear sayings in all forms of social media that 'this is life' or 'that is life.' All those sayings stemmed from these water walks, which gave global recognition to a fundamental fact, "Water is Life." When will we as humans realize that? When we’ve contaminated the last drop? Then what will we drink to live?" -- Guy Reiter / Anahkwet, Member of the Menominee Nation 

Eagle Staff carrier and Water carrier pass in front of the site for the proposed Copperwood Mine. (Photo © Sol Anzorena and courtesy Protect the Porkies)

The lack of education regarding Copperwood is in large part due to local media's unwillingness to cover the perspective of environmental and outdoor recreation advocates. Although articles have been published throughout Michigan, Wisconsin -- and even internationally in Britain's The Daily Mail -- media from Gogebic County has made no attempt to objectively cover the Protect The Porkies campaign, despite a petition of 45,000 signatures expressing multiple concerns regarding the proposed Mine. The Ironwood Daily Globe still has not made a single mention of the campaign and did not attempt to cover this Gichigaming Water Walk -- the largest environmental justice event in Gogebic County in over a decade -- and the only coverage from the Wakefield/Bessemer Pick and Axe (a publication run by a single individual) was a February article with the headline, "Outside forces step up fight against Copperwood, our community."

Such an accusation of "outside forces" is almost comical in the context of a Canadian company seeking to extract Michigan's copper, and it also does not seem account for the founder of the Protect The Porkies campaign residing in Wakefield Township, or the hundreds of Gogebic County residents who have signed the petition. More importantly, anyone descended from European settlers -- so-called "white people" -- may well be labeled "outside forces" compared to the Indigenous cultures who have inhabited these lands for tens of thousands of years without contaminating the water, many members of which were present at this Walk.

"We pray for the water because it cannot speak for itself. We let it know that we love it. We respect it. We care for it. We appreciate the life it brings forth. And we ask the Creator of all living things to protect it from harm. How that will happen, we don’t know, but we ask for it to happen." -- Edith Leoso, Member of the Bad River Band of Lake Superior Chippewa 

Water Walk organizer and former Bad River Tribal Historic Preservation Officer (THPO) Edith Leoso on the shore of Gichigami (Lake Superior). (Photo © Sol Anzorena and courtesy Protect the Porkies)

But the purpose of the Gichigaming Water Walk was not to divide, but to unite. None are "outside forces" when it comes to Water, which comprises 99 percent of the molecules in all of our bodies. Ensuring the integrity of the streams, groundwater, and Lake Superior -- largest freshwater sea on Earth -- is in the best interests of everyone.

The mining company claims it will take measures to prevent environmental harms, but the most comprehensive study conducted of American copper sulfide mines found that every single one of them contaminated water, even when complying with regulations.

The Copperwood Mine is opposed by a great many who do not usually speak out on mining issues. A metallic sulfide mine at the juncture of the Porcupine Mountains  (the largest mixed old-growth forest in the Midwest), the North Country Trail (the longest of all national hiking trails), and Lake Superior (the largest, cleanest, and wildest of all Great Lakes), is simply an abysmal location for such an operation. This is not an environmentalist perspective -- it's common sense.

Signed,

Tom Grotewohl
Founder of the Protect The Porkies campaign and resident of Wakefield Township

Editor's Note: For more information on Protect the Porkies and the campaign to protect the Porcupine Mountains Wilderness State Park from the proposed Copperwood Mine, go to https://protecttheporkies.com/

Final permits aren't yet issued for Lake Superior copper mine. But opponents fear it's all but locked in

By Caitlin Looby, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
Published April 10, 2024, in the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
Reprinted here in part with permission

The Presque Isle River in Michigan's Upper Peninsula empties into Lake Superior in the Porcupine Mountains Wilderness State Park. Environmentalists say that a new copper mine, which will be the closest metallic sulfide mine to Lake Superior to date, will threaten water quality in Lake Superior and its tributaries. (Photo © Caitlin Looby/Milwaukee Journal Sentinel)

GOGEBIC COUNTY, Mich. -- The Presque Isle River carves through the southwest tip of the Porcupine Mountains Wilderness State Park, leaving dozens of waterfalls in its wake before meeting the shore of Lake Superior.

The Midwest's largest tract of old-growth forest, undisturbed for generations, looms on either side of the river's final miles. It’s one of only a few places in the region to escape into the wild.

People from nearby cities, like Milwaukee, Madison, Chicago and the Twin Cities, venture to the rugged area to see the dark night sky, hear the sounds of the forest, and take in the vastness of Lake Superior.

Environmentalists say that a proposed mine -- slated to extract copper as close as 100 feet from the lake -- is putting all that at risk.

If it goes as planned, the Copperwood Mine will become the closest metallic sulfide mine to Lake Superior to date.

The mine will sit less than 30 miles east of the Wisconsin- Michigan border, and just west of Porcupine Mountains Wilderness State Park, one of the few state parks in the country with wilderness status. The mine will also hug the North Country Trail, which extends roughly 4,800 miles from North Dakota to Vermont.

Highland Copper, the Canadian company behind the mine, has leased the mineral rights to a 3.5 square mile area where it estimates it will extract nearly 65 million pounds of copper over the course of 11 to 14 years. According to the latest feasibility study, the start of construction is slated for later this year.

The controversy over the Copperwood Mine ramped up last year as the company began site preparations, clearing a swath of forest, filling wetlands and permanently rerouting streams next to the North Country Trail.

What worries mine opponents is that, while the Quebec-based company is up to date on its permits, it still has hoops to get through in securing final permits before it can begin operation. The company also hasn’t made it clear where it will draw water from to operate the mine, although the Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy, or EGLE, said the company intends to look at groundwater as an option. According to a 2018 environmental assessment, the mine will need roughly 430,000 gallons of water per day.

"We’re already seeing an applicant trying to essentially assert control over the world we live in," said Noah Saperstein, environmental justice specialist with the Red Cliff Band of Lake Superior Chippewa’s Treaty Natural Resources Department.... CLICK HERE to read the rest of this article in the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel online.

State of Michigan grant approval for Copperwood Mine reveals rifts in environmental movement, need for dialogue

By Brian Noell, Yellow Dog Watershed Preserve*

View of the Porcupine Mountains Wilderness State Park, now threatened by the proposed Copperwood Mine project, a metallic sulfide mine adjacent to Lake Superior. (Photo by Protect the Porkies and courtesy Yellow Dog Watershed Preserve)**

On Tuesday, March 26, the Michigan Strategic Fund (MSF) board voted unanimously to approve a $50 million grant to Canadian-owned Highland Copper to aid in development of a metallic sulfide mine adjacent to Lake Superior and Porcupine Mountains Wilderness State Park. Although the result was not unexpected, it and the subsequent public relations effort are revealing, and I would argue, important for those considering themselves environmentalists to ponder.***

Thanks to the efforts of the grassroots coalition assembled in opposition to the grant, the members of which spoke eloquently at the March 26 and February 27 meetings as well as in writing, the MSF board attached significant conditions to the award. The money is to be paid out as a reimbursement, not an outright gift, and only applies to Highland Copper itself (unless MSF gives its consent), ensuring that the company does not pocket the money and abandon the project to another entity. Moreover, there is an infrastructure construction requirement and an obligation to create jobs (yet to be determined, though press releases are touting 380 as the number). Both provide a level of accountability to the local community that might not have existed had activists not pointed out the speculative nature and generally negative net economic effects of mining development in rural America.

Most importantly, MSF is requiring Highland Copper to raise $150 million before the state money is disbursed, a significant hurdle for a company whose valuation is presently less than the $50 million grant itself. Indeed, the company has owned Copperwood for 10 years and already has successively pushed back construction timetables because of undercapitalization.

Also instructive is the public relations exercise that followed the grant announcement. The unanimity of business groups, Northern Michigan University, local government, state representatives, and the Governor herself, was touted in press releases. Job creation, infrastructure improvement, economic development, and securing resources for electric vehicles and other technologies (ideally to be built in Michigan) were in the forefront. Although there will be an undeniable short-term economic impact if the project clears all the monetary and regulatory hurdles it faces and manages to produce ore, one can question the actual number of jobs for locals the mine will create as well as the sustainability of the development an operation predicted to produce only for 11 years will bring. And what about the market for copper itself, which is notoriously volatile and will largely determine the level of ore production, a common phenomenon that results in the type of "flickering" that keeps traditional mining communities in perpetual want?

Official press releases and local media coverage of the grant announcement were unquestioningly cheery and, even when mentioning opposition, omitted the substance of those objections. Extraction beneath Porcupine Mountains Wilderness State Park and potentially within 100 feet of Lake Superior itself, for example, as well as construction of a 323-acre tailings facility perched on a slope leading to the big lake and in view of the North Country Trail, Lake of the Clouds Overlook, and Copper Peak were passed over in silence.****

The Lake of the Clouds -- one of the most scenic views in the Porcupine Mountains Wilderness State Park. The view to the right of the photo (west and south) could be impeded by the proposed 323-acre tailings facility, originally estimated to be about 14 storeys high. (Keweenaw Now file photo)

The roll-out of the MSF grant is illustrative of a crossroads being approached in the environmental movement, when destruction of wild lands adjacent to a lake containing 10 percent of the world’s fresh water and an iconic state park is justified in the name of green energy, central to keeping the economy humming in the age of climate change. Political coalition-building underpins the project, which dovetails nicely with conservative priorities to rebuild extractive industries and provide jobs in a region suffering economic hardship and decades of population decline.

This map shows the proposed Copperwood Tailings Disposal Facility (TDF), outlined in orange, lower center of map. For a larger version go to page 53, Fig. 1-2, of Highland Copper/Copperwood Resources' 2018 proposed Part 632 mining permit amendment. The TDF is on a slope, leaning toward Lake Superior. (Keweenaw Now file Screenshot courtesy Copperwood Resources, Inc.)

From a political perspective, this is a winning strategy for both sides and even seems like a path out of our climate dilemma. But what are the costs? Green energy is not green if the result is the fouling of the world’s largest body of fresh water, which also is vital to addressing the effects of climate change. And what of the more sustainable recreation economy that the MSF’s own bosses, the Michigan Economic Development Corporation, are also pushing in their "Pure Michigan" campaign? 

This map shows the proximity of the projected Copperwood Mine and its Tailings Disposal Facility to the historic North Country Trail, indicated by the bright green line. (Map courtesy Protect the Porkies.)

Perhaps most importantly, the mainstream narrative that celebrates sustainability, prosperity, and green energy in connection with the development of Copperwood ignores the burden future generations will bear from mineral extraction on the banks of our largest great lake. Maintaining decaying infrastructure and preventing the release of the accumulated waste into Lake Superior will be this project’s longest legacy, adding more than 30 million tons of toxic material to the already steep bill of climate change itself.

Green energy, it turns out, is fraught with trade-offs. For now, however, state and corporate PR apparatus have the information advantage, working hand-in-glove with a local media lacking the resources and perhaps inclination to question the rosy picture being painted for them of "environmentally friendly" industrial projects.

It appears to fall to organizations and news sources outside the establishment echo-chamber to put these questions before the public and for us all to do some tough thinking about the costs of the "green" economy’s rapid growth.  If we begin to see the problem in a multi-faceted way, perhaps a path forward will emerge that includes in the calculus even the effects of our actions on behalf of a warming planet.

Editor's Notes:

* Guest author Brian Noell has given Keweenaw Now permission for republishing this article he wrote for the Yellow Dog Watershed Preserve.

** Visit protecttheporkies.com to learn more about the sulfide mining threat to the Porcupine Mountains Wilderness State Park and to read and sign the petition against the Copperwood Mine project.

*** The Porcupine Mountains Wilderness State Park, near Ontonagon, Mich., was recently named the most beautiful state park in the US.

**** See this video that shows failure of tailings dams.

Copperwood applies for permit to construct Tailings Disposal Facility; public comments due Aug. 1, 2018

By Michele Bourdieu

Highland Copper subsidiary Copperwood Resources, Inc., has applied to the Michigan Department of Environmental Quality for a Part 315 Dam Safety permit for constructing the Tailings Disposal Facility (TDF) (outlined above in orange, lower center of map) for the Copperwood Mining Project near Wakefield. Click on map for slightly larger version or go to page 53, Fig. 1-2, of Copperwood Resources' proposed Part 632 mining permit amendment for a larger version. (Screenshot of map courtesy Copperwood Resources, Inc.)

GAYLORD, Mich. -- Thomas Repaal, Copperwood Resources, Inc., 310 East US Hwy 2, Wakefield, Michigan 49968, has applied to the Michigan Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) Water Resources Division Gaylord Field Office for a permit under authority of Part 315, Dam Safety, of the Natural Resources and Environmental Protection Act, 1994 PA 451, as amended (NREPA).

The applicant proposes to construct a 320-acre Tailings Disposal Facility (TDF) as part of the Copperwood Project
underground copper mine. The final TDF will be constructed of earth fill and will include approximately 9.29 million cubic yards of material for the embankments. The project is located in T49N, R45W, Sections 6, 7, and 8; Wakefield and Ironwood Townships; Gogebic County, Michigan.

Jim Pawloski, DEQ Water Resources engineer in the Gaylord office (Hydrologic Studies and Dam Safety Unit), said the Part 315 permit is required because of the size and height of the proposed TDF -- 320 acres and up to 130 feet high.

Pawloski told Keweenaw Now Copperwood's Part 315 application is essentially the same as the one they applied for and received previously.

"It's actually a new application because the previous one expired after five years," Pawloski said.

Further description from the summary of activities in the Part 315 permit application form:

"The TDF embankment will be comprised of three zones of soil fill, the innermost of which is a low permeability recompacted soil fill. In addition to these three embankment zones, a HDPE geomembrane liner will be installed on the upstream face of the embankment to control tailings water seepage. Construction of the TDF will also impact 51.25 acres of wetland, which will be mitigated on-site and through preservation off-site. The TDF will also require the filling of 16,557 linear feet of stream and creek; provisions have been made to intercept all upstream flow and route it around the TDF through the construction of stream channels using natural stream channel design. The downstream watershed will be left intact and undisturbed. Upon closure of the mine, the TDF will be capped, reclaimed, and returned to a natural, self-sustaining ecosystem. The cap will consist of a geosynthetic separation layer, a capillary break layer, a soil cover layer, and a vegetative support layer. Once reclaimed, the TDF will provide approximately 320 acres of grassland habitat with drainage directed north into existing stream channels."*

In their description of the TDF, the applicant also notes, "The sediment in the tailings and contact water will settle out in the TDF, and the water will be collected via decant structure piping and transferred to the on-site wastewater treatment plant."*

The scenic North Country Trail passes very near the south side of the TDF.

Doug Welker of Atlantic Mine, a member of a local North Country Trail chapter, helps maintain the North Country Trail and enjoys hiking in Upper Peninsula areas of the trail.

This drawing shows Stage 3 of the proposed Tailings Disposal Facility (TDF) with base liner grades. Note streams to the north and the proximity of the North Country Trail to the south of the TDF (arrow above the letter A on south side points to the scenic trail). For a larger view go to page 70, Fig.5-4, of Copperwood Resources' proposed Part 632 mining permit amendment.

"I have commented publicly on this issue in the past," Welker told Keweenaw Now recently.  "My biggest concern is the scale of the tailings basin and the lack of a spelled-out 'worst case scenario,' should the tailings basin fail. Our 'new climate normal' will likely feature more intense rainfalls than the model the company is using to project tailings basin-related safety."

Because of the impacts to wetlands and the re-routing of streams planned for the construction of the TDF, the Part 315 permit is related to other DEQ Water Resources permits.

On July 17, 2018, a public hearing was held at Gogebic Community College on the renewal of Copperwood's permit application for Part 301, Inland Lakes Streams; Part 303, Wetland Protection; and Part 325, Great Lakes Submerged Lands.

James Caron of DEQ Water Resources, who chaired the July 17 public hearing, said about 66 people attended the hearing and most of those who made comments were in favor of granting those permits. Only one person spoke in opposition -- Chuck Brumleve, environmental mining specialist for the Keweenaw Bay Indian Community (KBIC), who presented the tribe's opposition to the application.

Brumleve told Keweenaw Now he was surprised to be the only person expressing environmental concerns at the hearing. He noted the local government representatives who spoke were all in favor of Copperwood's project.

Native Americans' objections to Copperwood plans

According to Brumleve, the tribe is presenting several objections to Copperwood's present project. Here are a few of their concerns:

-- They object to the fact that the company plans to store all the tailings on the surface rather than backfilling the mine with at least some of the tailings so that the size of the TDF, wetland impacts and stream diversions could be reduced -- thus reducing the height of the TDF and its visual, aesthetic impacts as well (presently DEQ officials admit that, should the TDF reach the anticipated height of 130 feet, it would be visible from the Porcupine Mountains Wilderness State Park). Backfilling is a well established technology for this type of underground mine and was even recommended by the mining company's consultant in 2012.

-- Another possibility for reducing the size of the TDF, reducing the wetland fill, and possibly avoiding stream diversion (apparently not included in the company's plans) would be to transport tailings from the Copperwood Mine to the White Pine tailings basin.

-- The tribe has also cited studies that question the company's claim that the streams and wetlands are not connected to groundwater. They note the company has not heeded warnings from experts, made in comments in 2012, that contaminated mine water could discharge from the underground mine workings to the surface.

-- The proposed water intake from Lake Superior raises concerns about tribal treaty rights, since the mine and the intake are located within the 1842 Ceded Territory. Potential impacts on treaty-guaranteed tribal fishingand nearby spawning areas should be studied before permits are granted.

Today, July 26, is the DEQ's extended comment deadline for the Part 301, Part 303 and Part 325 permit.**

Public comments on Part 315 application due by Aug. 1, 2018

The public may submit comments on this Part 315 application by 5 p.m. on Aug. 1, 2018. Written comments will be made part of the record and should reference the application number HNE-DAD2-17YT1. Objections must be factual, specific, and fully describe the reasons upon which any objection is founded. Unless a written request is filed with the DEQ within the 20-day public comment period (which began July 12, 2018) the DEQ may make a decision on the application without a public hearing. The determination as to whether a permit will be issued or a public hearing held will be based on an evaluation of all relevant factors, including the public comments received and the effect of the proposed work on the public trust or interest, including navigation, fish, wildlife, and pollution.***

Asked why only two documents concerning the Part 315 application are available on the DEQ's MI Waters Web site (the Public Notice and the Joint Permit Application Form), Pawloski said the other documents are too large for the Internet system.

"We've decided to make documents available upon request," he told Keweenaw Now.

The entire copy of the public notice package may be requested by calling 989-731-4920 or may be viewed at the DEQ Water Resources Division Gaylord Field Office, 2100 M-32, Gaylord, Michigan 49735. Written comments may be mailed to this office and must be received by 5 p.m. on Aug. 1, 2018. To comment on line, click here to download, from the MI Waters Web site, the complete Public Notice (PN Copperwood Mine) and the Joint Permit Application Form (DEQ and U.S. Army Corps of Engineers). Click on Add Comment to submit comments. You may also comment by email to Jim Pawloski at pawloskij@michigan.gov; however, comments on line through MI Waters are preferable.

Notes:

* See the Joint Permit Application Form (DEQ and U.S. Army Corps of Engineers), pp. 1-3. Click here to download this Application Form.

** See our July 13, 2018, article, "UPDATED: MDEQ to hold public meeting/hearing on proposed Copperwood mining permit amendment, water permit updates."

*** See the Public Notice (PN Copperwood Mine). Click here to download it.

UPDATED: MDEQ to hold public meeting/hearing on proposed Copperwood mining permit amendment, water permit updates

By Michele Bourdieu

This photo shows a portion of Namebinag Creek, which could be impacted by wastewater discharges from the Copperwood mining project. See map below showing nearby streams. (Keweenaw Now file photo © and courtesy John Leddy)

[UPDATE: MDEQ has announced they will extend the comment period on renewal of Copperwood's permit application for Part 301, Inland Lakes Streams; Part 303, Wetland Protection; and Part 325, Great Lakes Submerged Lands, for 10 days following the July 17 Public Hearing announced below. Public comments on this permit will now be accepted through Thursday, July 26, 2018.]

MARQUETTE -- The Michigan Department of Environmental Quality (MDEQ) will hold a joint public meeting and hearing regarding Highland Copper subsidiary Copperwood Resources Inc.’s recent requests: 1) to amend Mining Permit MP 01 2012, issued under Part 632, Nonferrous Metallic Mineral Mining, and (2) renewal of Copperwood's permit application for Part 301, Inland Lakes Streams; Part 303, Wetland Protection; and Part 325, Great Lakes Submerged Lands, of the Natural Resources and Environmental Protection Act, 1994, PA 1994, as amended.

The meeting/hearing will be held from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. (CDT) on Tuesday, July 17, at Gogebic Community College, Lindquist Student and Conference Center, Upper Level Conference Room, E-4946 Jackson Road, Ironwood, MI 49938.

The meeting will allow questions and answers on both permits and provide information on the changes proposed in the amendment to the Part 632 Mining Permit, including (1) relocation of process plant; (2) additional of outdoor stockpile; and (3) modification of mine ventilation.*

According to Copperwood's Amendment proposal, "The defined Project mining area associated with this Amendment remains similar to the mining area presented in the original Mine Permit Application (MPA) (Orvana, 2011).  The only change to the mining area occurs along the western portion of the mining area, where its boundary extends further to the southwest to account for the modified layout of the processing and support facilities."

This map, a screenshot from figure 2-1 of Copperwood's proposed Amendment to their Part 632 Mining permit, shows the change in mining area. The yellow line in the southwest corner marks the original extent of mining in the permit, while the green line shows the new southwest boundary. Click on map for slightly larger version or click here for the proposed Amendment and go to p. 54, Figure 2-1, for the original size. (Image courtesy Copperwood Resources Inc.)

According to MDEQ officials, neither permit is directly related to recent mining exploration activity in and near the Porcupine Mountains Wilderness State Park, which is near the proposed Copperwood mine site.**

"None of it is (the proposed Part 632 amendment) is going to affect the Porkies," said Joe Maki, geology specialist for the MDEQ Oil, Gas and Minerals Division (Upper Peninsula office).

View of the Lake of the Clouds, one of the most scenic views in the Porcupine Mountains Wilderness State Park (Porkies). The view to the right of the photo (west and south) could be impeded by the proposed 14-storey-high tailings pile proposed in the original Copperwood Mining permit application submitted by Orvana in 2011 and issued in 2012. They claimed the Tailings Disposal Facility (TDF) and mill site would not be visible from this overlook but a small clearing and the tops of the TDF dikes might be visible above the trees. (Keweenaw Now file photo)

According to James Caron of MDEQ Water Resources, the renewal permit under Parts 301, 303 and 325 is nearly the same as the original, with the addition of a water intake pipe from Lake Superior (marked in upper left corner of above map). The new permit also includes a slight decrease in wetland impacts, Caron added.

This early map shows the approximate area of the projected Copperwood Project and its proximity to Lake Superior and streams. Click on map for larger version. (Keweenaw Now file map courtesy Jessica Koski)

A June 27, 2018, Public Notice from MDEQ's Water Resources Division states the following: "The applicant proposes to dredge and fill streams and wetlands and dredge and fill bottomlands of Lake Superior for the purpose of constructing a new copper mine including an access road, mine entrance, mill, tailings basin, water intake, and related structures."

The Public Notice summarizes the impacts to streams and wetlands, including impacts of the Tailings Disposal Facility (TDF) construction as follows:

"Stream Impacts: Eleven existing stream crossing culverts will be removed and replaced with new pipe arch culverts of various sizes and lengths to match stream bankfull widths. Three new stream crossing pipe arch culverts will also be installed. These upgraded or new crossings will allow access to the mine site, water intake, mill site, mitigation site and other related facilities. Approximately 16,557 lineal feet of stream channel, including sections of Lehigh Creek and the
West and East Branches of Gipsy Creek, will be abandoned during construction of the tailings disposal facility. Approximately 3,900 lineal feet of stream channel will be constructed to relocate a portion of the Middle Branch Gipsy Creek and approximately 8,560 lineal feet of stream channel
will be constructed to divert surface water around the south and west sides of the tailings disposal facility.

"Wetland Impacts: Approximately 7,295,157 cubic yards of fill will be placed in 43.48 acres of wetland and approximately 35,836 cubic yards of material will be excavated from 14.36 acres of wetlands to construct the main access road, the box cut, the mill site and processing plant, the mitigation access road and creation area, the ore stockpile area, the water intake road, the stream relocations and the tailings disposal facility."

The addition of a Water Intake pipeline is described thus:

"Lake Superior Water Intake: A 2,715 foot long by 18 inch diameter pipeline will be installed in Lake Superior to supply water to the mine. Approximately 7,710 cubic yards of material will be excavated below the ordinary high water mark of Lake Superior to construct the pipeline and infiltration gallery and approximately 2,610 cubic yards of coarse aggregate and 4,770 cubic yards of rip rap will be placed to backfill the pipeline after installation. Approximately 330 cubic yardsof sand and gravel and 40  cubic yards of gravel pack and 20 cubic yards of river rock will be placed around the infiltration gallery."***

Following the public meeting a formal public hearing on the permit application for Part 301, Inland Lakes Streams; Part 303, Wetland Protection; and Part 325, Great Lakes Submerged Lands, will be held. This is a renewal (after 5 years) of the original permit under MDEQ Water Resources.

The comment period on the Water Resources permit ends on July 26 (See UPDATE), and comments during the public hearing will be considered along with written comments, which should reference Submission Number: HND-EQMB-E27HX.

UPDATED: Documents on the Water Resources permit, including their public notice (PN Master) are available here. You may download a document and then click on Add Comment at the top of the page to comment by July 26, 2018. You may also email comments by July 26 to James Caron at caronj@michigan.gov.

The DEQ shall accept written comment on the Part 632 amendment request until 5 p.m. (EDT), August 14, 2018. Comments may be mailed to MDEQ, Oil, Gas, and Minerals Division, 1504 West Washington Street, Marquette, MI 49855, or e-mail comments to the designated MDEQ mailbox at DEQ-Mining-Comments@michigan.gov, including "Copperwood" as the subject.

The Copperwood Mine Permit Amendment Request documents are located on the following MDEQ web page:
NON-FERROUS METALLIC MINING, Recent Developments in Part 632 Projects, Copperwood Project Permit Amendment.

* Click here for the public notice on the July 17 meeting.

** See our April 7, 2017, article, "State, county officials address citizens' concerns about erosion from Highland Copper mining exploration along CR 519 in Porkies."
See also the Feb. 12, 2018, update from the Michigan Dept. of Natural Resources, "Updated: Copperwood Resources to resume winter copper exploration at Porcupine Mountains Wilderness State Park; settlement reached with DEQ on 2017 erosion damage." 

*** For background on the original Copperwood water and air quality permits see our coverage of the 2012 Public Hearing at Gogebic Community College: "MDEQ hearing on Orvana Copperwood air, water quality permits: Part 1, Questions" and "MDEQ public hearing on Orvana Copperwood mine: Part 2."