MSF votes $50 million for Copperwood mine; public comments ignored

 From: Protect the Porkies

This map shows sources of pollution that would occur should the Copperwood mine be built. A mine exhaust vent a mere 150 feet from the Porcupine Wilderness State Park would spew particulate matter containing benzene, formaldehyde, arsenic, cobalt, and more; and the 323-acre tailings waste basin would be visible from the Lake of the Clouds Overlook, as well as from Copper Peak and the North Country Trail. Click on image for larger version. (Image courtesy Protect the Porkies)

[On Tuesday, August 25] the Michigan Strategic Fund (MSF) performed a coup d'état of democratic governance when they approved a handout of $50 million to advance the hotly opposed Copperwood mine, via a backdoor loophole which will not require the funding to pass through Michigan legislature.*

Rather than introducing a new funding source, they are utilizing funding already approved from four years ago. They claim this is not meant to bypass the Senate, even though this is clearly the case -- the Senate has denied this funding three times.

During the public comment period for people attending the August 25 meeting in person, 40+ in-person speakers opposed the funding. Not a single regular person spoke in favor. Through a motion from the MSF, 127 virtual speakers were pushed back until after the vote was cast, effectively disenfranchising dozens of U.P. voices. 

Vote first, listen to the public later? The Michigan Strategic Fund and Michigan Economic Development Corporation are in open rebellion against democracy. They should be disbanded by any means necessary, and the queen of leeches, Gretchen Whitmer, should resign immediately.

To make matters more atrocious, the MEDC is utilizing funds from Tribal casinos to advance a mine which is near universally opposed by Tribal citizens.

This decision to bypass legislation may quite possibly be illegal and avenues for litigation will be pursued.

Regardless, the only icing on the cake is that this failing, hated company must first secure $150 million before receiving the grant. This would've been a longshot, but being able to tout an official Michigan endorsement makes it far more likely.**

Join us this weekend in a protest encampment next to the mine site, on the North Country Trail on Ottawa National Forest, located 20 minutes north of Wakefield on County Road 519, just a few minutes south of the Presque Isle Scenic area in Porcupine Mountains State Park.

We’re a friendly and welcoming group of folks. Please bring everything you need to be self-sufficient. Pack in, pack out: take all trash and recycling with you when you leave.***

See maps and learn more at www.ProtectThePorkies.com/camp

Editor's Notes:

* The Copperwood mine is proposed to be located near the Porcupine Mountains Wilderness State Park and Lake Superior.

** For more details on this funding vote, see "Fourth Time's a Charm for $50 Million Copperwood Grants" on The 906 Report (August 26, 2026), by Mark Doremus. 

*** See more on the camp on Keweenaw Now: The 906 Report: Copperwood Opponents Establish Resistance Encampment.