Letter: Keeping the public informed

The authors of this letter, Mary Hansen and Jeff Budish, Board Members of the Coalition to SAVE the Menominee River, are pictured here with signs used during their actions opposing the Back Forty Mine. (Photo courtesy Mary Hansen)

An FYI from the Coalition to SAVE the Menominee River.

By now you all should know something about the infamous Back Forty Mine. Many think because we defeated Aquila in court the threat of this mine is over. It is not. Aquila sold out their investors and transferred their remaining assets to Gold Resource Corp. (G.O.R.O.) on the New York Stock Exchange. They are determined to start the mine.

They will need five permits before a shovel can be put in the ground. Each permit has numerous conditions that must be met before they can be issued. G.O.R.O. has submitted their first application. It is for their Air Quality Permit. They are requesting to submit all five of their permits together. If this happens We The People will be at a great disadvantage. Why? The pages in five applications can easily be over 40,000! A Public Hearing will then be scheduled where We The People will be allowed the usual time of three minutes to voice our concerns. In combining five permits no one can absorb all the information given to make an informed statement in that amount of time. Written statements are accepted but can never pack a punch like a public speaker can.

Jeff Budish phoned Michigan EGLE (Environment, Great Lakes and Energy) representative Adam Wygant, who told him the Menominee Tribe and We the People were in favor of the combined permits. The Coalition Board sat with the Tribal Board at their meeting. They informed us that they had not even been contacted! As for We the People he referred to, they are NOT those we know!

So, We the People, contact Adam Wygant at 517-897-4828 and tell him DO NOT COMBINE THE MINE PERMITS!

Jeff Budish, Mary Hansen