2016 Pipe Out Paddle flotilla protests Enbridge's Line 5 Pipeline under Mackinac Straits

By Michele Bourdieu

Miguel Levy of Houghton took this photo of the "Shut Down Line 5" banner from his kayak during the Sept. 3, 2016, Pipe Out Paddle protest against Enbridge's 63-year-old pipeline under the Straits of Mackinac. At right is the south end of the Mackinac Bridge. (Photo © and courtesy Miguel Levy)

MACKINAW CITY -- For the second year in a row, concerned citizens -- Native and non-Native -- paddled kayaks and canoes from the beach near Lighthouse Park in Mackinaw City to protest Enbridge's 63-year-old Line 5 pipeline under the Straits of Mackinac. The 2016 Pipe Out Paddle flotilla protest attracted about 150 participants and included two launches on Saturday, Sept. 3 -- two days before the Labor Day Mackinac Bridge Walk

Miguel and Anita Levy of Houghton participated in the Pipe Out Paddle event for the second year. This time they happened to be walking in Mackinaw City the preceding evening and joined other activists in an impromptu event, carrying cardboard letters made with little light bulbs to protest both the Line 5 pipeline and the North Dakota Access Pipeline. Each person carried one letter to form the signs and they walked towards the highway to attract the attention of passing cars.

On Sept. 2, the night before the Pipe Out Paddle event, protesters convey their message with lighted cardboard letters in Mackinaw City. (Photo © and courtesy Miguel Levy)

On Saturday Miguel paddled a kayak for the first time ever to join the flotilla protest.

On Sept. 3, 2016, Miguel Levy of Houghton sets out from shore to join kayaks and canoes paddling near the Mackinac Bridge for the second annual kayactivist protest against Enbridge's 63-year-old Line 5 pipeline under the Straits of Mackinac. A tribal security boat accompanies the group. (Video by Keweenaw Now)

"It was exciting to have this connection emphasizing the need to protect our water, sacred water to the Native American peoples, water important for all of us, clearly against the profit-making interests of the Oil Companies," Anita said.

Darren Weinnert, a young tourist and photographer from Altoona, Pennsylvania, was on his way to the Upper Peninsula, hoping to visit the Keweenaw -- destination Copper Harbor -- when he learned about the protest and attended the event.

On his way to the U.P., Pennsylvania resident Darren Weinnert poses with two lovely protesters at the Pipe Out Paddle event -- Mari Raphael, left, of Peshawbestown, Mich., a member of the Grand Traverse Band of Ottawa and Chippewa Indians, and Denise Sica of Northport, Mich. -- both from the Leelanau Peninsula on Lake Michigan. (Photo by Keweenaw Now)

"I think it's awesome," Weinnert said of this second Pipe Out Paddle protest to create awareness of the dangers to Great Lakes waters from a potential oil spill. "Global warming is a concern, but nobody pays attention to the water."

Kayactivists at the Sept. 3, 2016, Pipe Out Paddle protest, raise their "Water is Life" banner. (Photo by Keweenaw Now)

Another tourist who just happened to arrive at the event, not knowing what it was about at first, was Ryan Haury of Ferndale, Mich., who had been camping at the nearby Dark Sky Park and was excited about having seen Northern Lights over the Mackinac Bridge during his stay.

"Sustainable energy is the future -- water, solar, wind -- not fossil fuels," Haury said. "I think fossil fuels -- coal and oil -- are only being used now because of lobbyists controlling the decisions of politicians -- lining their pockets with money in order to keep coal and oil running."

Haury noted the fact that Republicans deny that global warming exists is due to this lobbying for coal and oil.

"And I miss Bernie Sanders," he added.

Jannan Cornstalk, citizen of the Little Traverse Bay Bands (LTBB) of Odawa Indians and organizer of the event, was pleased with the number of participants, considering the fact that many activists had gone to the Dakotas to join the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe's protest against the North Dakota Access Pipeline, happening at the same time.*

Pipe Out Paddle organizer Jannan Cornstalk, right, is pictured here with her daughter, Jannan Cotto. Both are from Petoskey, Mich., and citizens of the Little Traverse Bay Bands of Odawa Indians (LTBB). Cotto is also LTBB education director. (Photo by Keweenaw Now)

"I'm really pleased with the turnout, and the weather is stellar," Cornstalk told Keweenaw Now, "and I'm glad that the tribal jiimans (large canoes) were able to come."

A jiiman (tribal canoe) participates in the Sept. 3, 2016, Pipe Out Paddle protest near the Mackinac Bridge. (Photo © and courtesy Miguel Levy)

Kayaks and canoes return to shore after their morning launch. A second launch was held in the afternoon. (Video by Keweenaw Now)

During an interview by a local TV station, Cornstalk speaks about the reasons for Pipe Out Paddle event and confirms the group's solidarity with those protesting the North Dakota Access Pipeline:

In a TV interview Pipe Out Paddle organizer Jannan Cornstalk speaks about the importance of protecting the water from a potential oil spill from the Line 5 pipeline under the Straits of Mackinac and thanks other groups for their support of the event. Holding the AIM (American Indian Movement) flag in the background are, from left, Joann Carey of Petoskey, LTBB elder; Joan Jacobs of Port Huron, LTBB citizen; and Tamela Okerley of Petoskey, LTBB citizen and elder outreach coordinator for the Michigan Indian Elders Association. (Video by Keweenaw Now)

Tamela Okerley of Petoskey, elder outreach coordinator for the Michigan Indian Elders Association, said 11 of 12 Michigan tribes have signed a resolution requesting the shutdown of Line 5.**

"That resolution will be going out to the Governor and state reps and other politicians," Okerley noted. "The elders are the water keepers."

Wearing AIM (American Indian Movement) t-shirts, LTTB citizens Michael Smith of Harbor Springs and Tamela Okerley of Petoskey, show their solidarity with AIM values.

Michael Smith of Harbor Springs, LTTB citizen and AIM representative, explained why he, Okerley and others were wearing AIM t-shirts.

"We're wearing what we believe their beliefs are -- to stand up for our rights," Smith said.

One of the groups involved in the Pipe Out Paddle event was MICATS (Michigan Coalition Against Tar Sands). Duncan, a member of MICATS, came from Lansing to join the protest against Line 5.

"I came because this is an issue about not only protesting the water that sustains us but also because it's part of the ongoing struggle against settler colonialism," Duncan said. "Indigenous folks who've lived here for hundreds of years are calling for this pipeline to be shut down, and I'm here because I want to take a stand against the violence that's been perpetrated by my ancestors."

Duncan of MICATS traveled from Lansing for the protest against Line 5. He is a history major about to graduate from Michigan State University. (Photo by Keweenaw Now)

Valerie Jean of Detroit, photographer and member of MICATS and DCATS (Detroit Coalition Against Tar Sands), helped organize the Pipe Out Paddle protest for the second year.

"To me we are at a monumental moment where we have to, by any means necessary, get Line 5 decommissioned for future generations," Valerie Jean said. "We're actually taking future generations' lives and putting them in jeopardy by having that oil pipeline run through the Great Lakes."

June Thaden of Traverse City, board member of the Northern Michigan Environmental Action Council, said her group is working with Oil and Water Don't Mix on their project to shut down Line 5.***

"Water is life," Thaden said, means "the economy up here -- in all of northern Michigan, even in Traverse City, will be affected. "Who wants to see water with oil in it?"

She noted especially the effect a spill would have on tourism in the area.

"Even if somehow they manage to clean it up so it's not visible, people will still remember and tourists will not even come here," Thaden added.

After enjoying the free lunch offered by the Pipe Out Paddle organizers, kayactivists from the Traverse City area look forward to participating in the afternoon kayak/canoe launch. (Photo by Keweenaw Now)

Marti Wesley, a retired teacher from Saginaw, said she just learned about the Line 5 pipeline via Facebook during the past eight months. She belongs to a kayak group and said she was looking forward to participating in the afternoon launch. Since it was Labor Day weekend she wasn't able to convince other members of the group to attend so she drove up to Mackinaw City by herself.

"Retirees should be out there," Wesley noted. "That's why I'm here."

Press Conference speakers on "Water is Life"

Between lunchtime and the afternoon launch, organizer Jannan Cornstalk hosted a press conference with speakers of different ages who gave testimonies on the importance of protecting the water.

John Petoskey, a citizen of the Grand Traverse Band, reminded the audience of the current legal status of a petition to end fracking in Michigan. He was followed by young Cole Mays and his mother, Melissa Mays, who spoke about living in Flint with the water pollution crisis there.

During the press conference at the 2016 Pipe Out Paddle Protest against the Line 5 pipeline under the Straits of Mackinac, two speakers call attention to additional water issues in Michigan. John Petoskey of the Grand Traverse Band asks for signatures on a petition against fracking, and Cole Mays talks about what it is like to live in Flint where the water remains polluted. (Video by Keweenaw Now)

Melissa Mays, Cole's mother, speaks about the hardships and dangerous health effects still endured by Flint families because of the poisoning of their drinking water with lead and other pollutants. (Photo by Keweenaw Now)****

Fred Harrington, local resident and LTBB citizen, spoke about enjoying the water with his grandson and his concern that an oil spill in the Straits could ruin the whole area.

Fred Harrington of LTBB speaks about his concerns for the water. (Photo by Keweenaw Now)

"Humans need water. We don't own it. It owns us," Harrington said. "We have to take care of the water."

Harrington added that citizens cannot let commercialism and capitalism destroy the water here as it has in other parts of the world.

Karlee Exelby, 10, spoke at the press conference on her love of the water. Here she is pictured with her mother, Tina Dominic. Karlee and her Mom, LTBB citizens from Petoskey, volunteered to do face painting at the event. (Photo by Keweenaw Now)

Aaron Payment, chair of the Sault Ste. Marie Tribe of Chippewa Indians, spoke during the press conference about the failures of state officials to act on the dangers of a potential oil spill from the aging Line 5 pipeline under the Straits. He gave several reasons for his position: shutting down Line 5.

During the press conference, Aaron Payment, Sault Tribe chairman, describes the devastation that would result from an oil spill in the area -- including, he says, the damage to Mackinac Island, which would have to be evacuated. (Video by Keweenaw Now)

Jannan Cornstalk summed up the concerns of the activists at the Pipe Out Paddle event, noting that, following a prophecy, water is going to be like gold in the future.

"Our water is in a state of emergency right now," she said.

Oil and Water Don't Mix campaign calls for action

Several representatives from tribal and environmental groups participated in the Labor Day Mackinac Bridge Walk with Michigan Gov. Rick Snyder. One of these groups, Oil and Water Don't Mix, posted on Facebook a video of their effort to speak to the Governor during a press conference following his completion of the walk. He barely answered their question and walked away.

Click here to see two Oil and Water Don't Mix videos on their Facebook page from their protest at the end of the Labor Day Bridge Walk (Sept. 5, 2016).

A news article from Oil and Water Don't Mix dated today, Sept. 14, 2016, states the following:

"Following a plea for urgent action from one of Gov. Rick Snyder’s top oil pipeline advisors, citizens groups committed to ending the threat of oil spills in the Great Lakes today called on the state’s pipeline safety panel to stop the flow of oil through Enbridge’s Line 5 in the Straits of Mackinac during dangerous icy winter months when oil spill recovery is nearly impossible."

Click here to read the rest of this Oil and Water Don't Mix article and to sign on to the letter calling for action.

Notes:

* Read about the Standing Rock protest here.

** Click here for a list of individual tribal resolutions against Line 5.

*** See Oil and Water Don't Mix for information about their campaign.

**** Click here to see the Detroit Free Press timeline on the Flint water crisis.

EPA taps Michigan Tech as home of Regional Environmental Infrastructure Center

Michigan Tech's Great Lakes Research Center (GLRC) is one of the university's various departments, centers and institutes expected to play a role in the recently named EPA Regional Environmental Infrastructure Center. (Keweenaw Now file photo)

By Jennifer Donovan*
Posted on Michigan Tech News Sept. 12, 2016
Reprinted here with permission

HOUGHTON -- Michigan Technological University is known for both its engineering and environmental know-how and its resources.

Add to that the School of Business and Economics, the Great Lakes Research Center (GLRC) and a campus-wide commitment to multidisciplinary work, and you have just what the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is looking for.

The EPA named Michigan Tech the new home of its Region 5 environmental finance center, a recognition that comes with a six-year grant of up to $5.6 million. EPA Region 5 covers Michigan, Minnesota, Wisconsin, Illinois, Indiana, and Ohio.

An EPA team is visiting Michigan Tech for a site visit today and tomorrow, Sept. 13-14.

Engineering, Business Resources

"The depth of engineering resources that we have, our business school’s involvement and the fact that a multidisciplinary approach is the norm here all made our application stand out," says Tim Colling.

The principal investigator on the EPA center, Colling also directs Michigan Tech’s Center for Technology and Training (CTT), part of the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering (CEE). There are several co-PIs from various University departments, centers and institutes, including CEE, the Sustainable Futures Institute, Michigan Tech Transportation Institute (MTTI) and the School of Business and Economics.

The new EPA regional center -- one of 10 nationwide -- will help counties, cities, villages, and state agencies find better ways to manage and maintain their infrastructure and to minimize their impact on the environment.

Infrastructure is a term used to describe the manmade systems that make modern society possible, such as bridges and roads, water and sewer systems, landfills and power generation systems.  Infrastructure and the environment interact constantly and in complex ways. Bridges span bodies of water; storm drainage from roads affects the surrounding ecosystem. Plants and wildlife as well as the quality of the air, water and soil all depend upon infrastructure that functions properly.

Preventive Maintenance

Managing infrastructure, Colling says, is somewhat like car maintenance.

"If I don’t change the oil, rotate the tires and grease the moving parts, my car is likely to break down prematurely and, as a result, I will have some expensive repairs and will have to deal with inconveniences like being stuck on the side of the road," explains Colling. "However, if I do all the required maintenance, my car is likely to last a lot longer, cost me much less over its life, and not leave me stranded. It’s the same idea for infrastructure -- we have to constantly manage it and do preventive work. Like your car, if you didn’t save to replace it and had to buy a new one suddenly, the financial burden can be staggering.

"These are the challenges engineers deal with every day," Colling goes on to say, "and there are no simple answers."

The EPA center will receive baseline funding from the grant. Colling is expecting additional funding to come through applications for various projects for which Michigan Tech is well qualified.

"Since this is a center focused on the Great Lakes area, we anticipate significant GLRC involvement," he says.

David Hall, a member of the Copper Country Recycling Initiative, recently commented on this article, saying, "Sustainability can finally start on the Michigan Tech Campus!!! Great news! Can't wait for Recycling, Composting, Sustainable facilities management heating, cooling, lighting, and everything else. Tech is way behind the curve now, but the new grant gives us hope."

* Author Jennifer Donovan is Director of News and Media Relations at Michigan Tech University.

Candidate forums for contested races to be held in Ontonagon, Hancock

ONTONAGON, HANCOCK -- Two candidate forums will be held soon in Ontonagon and Houghton counties to allow candidates from opposing parties in contested races to speak to the public. The Ontonagon County Republican and Democratic parties will sponsor a forum on Tuesday, Oct. 4, at the Ontonagon High School Cafeteria, 701 Parker Ave. in Ontonagon. In Houghton County the League of Women Voters of the Copper Country and the Keweenaw Chamber of Commerce are co-hosting a candidate forum on Thursday, Sept. 29, at Lakeview Manor Community Room, 1401 Quincy Street, Hancock.

Ontonagon County forum to include 1st District U.S. Congressional candidates and 110th District State Rep candidates

The candidate forum sponsored by the Ontonagon County Republican and Democratic parties will  begin at 6 p.m. ET with a "meet and greet," which will give voters the opportunity to meet forum candidates as well as candidates in Ontonagon County contested races.

The forum begins at 7 p.m. ET and will include 1st Congressional District candidates Lon Johnson (D) and Jack Bergman (R) and Michigan’s 110th District State Representative candidates Scott Dianda (D) Greg Markkanen (R). The forum moderator is Ontonagon District Court and Probate Judge, Janis Burgess.

"We are excited that the candidates are making time to meet with voters to share their views," said Roger Halquist, chair of the Ontonagon County Democratic Party.

The Chairman of the Ontonagon County Republican Party, Bob Niemela, remarked, "It's refreshing to see both our Ontonagon County Republican Party and the Ontonagon County Democratic Party work together to host this Candidates Forum, especially in such a heated campaign on a national level."

Bergman and Johnson are running for the seat being vacated by Dr. Dan Benishek of Iron River.  Republican Greg Markkanen is challenging incumbent 110th District State Representative Scott Dianda, who was first elected in 2012.

League of Women Voters welcomes questions for Sept. 29 candidate forum

The League of Women Voters of the Copper Country and the Keweenaw Chamber of Commerce forum will be held from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. on Thursday, Sept. 29, at Lakeview Manor Community Room, 1401 Quincy Street, Hancock. Candidates in the following contested races have been invited to the forum: 110th District State Rep race, Sheriff Race, Prosecutor Race, and contested County Commissioners. If you have questions for the candidates please submit them to info@keweenaw.org. All questions will be submitted to the League of Women Voters of the Copper Country. All questions will remain anonymous.

UPDATED: MDEQ announces Proposed Mining Permit Decision on Aquila Resources Back Forty Project, seeks public comment

From the Michigan Department of Environmental Quality:
UPDATED Sept. 6-7, 2016, with information from Public Notice and more.

LANSING -- The Michigan Department of Environmental Quality (MDEQ) announced on Friday, Sept. 2, 2016, its proposed decision to grant a mining permit to Aquila Resources for the Back Forty Project -- a proposed gold, zinc and copper mine and processing facility in Lake Township, Mich. -- and a public hearing to be held October 6, 2016.

The MDEQ determined the application meets the requirements for approval under Michigan’s mining law, Part 632 of the Natural Resources and Environmental Protection Act, which requires that mining operations must be protective of natural resources, the environment, and public health and safety.

As part of the decision-making process, the MDEQ is seeking comments from interested persons on the proposed mining permit decision, as well as two other pending permit decisions for the project: an air emissions permit and a surface waters discharge permit (NPDES, or National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System permit). The MDEQ will hold one consolidated hearing and public comment period for all three permit decisions to ensure convenience for citizens. A fourth permit application for impacts to wetlands will be considered by the MDEQ in a separate review process.*

The public hearing will be held from 6 p.m. to 10 p.m. CST on Thursday, Oct. 6, at Stephenson High School gymnasium, located at W526 Division Street, Stephenson, Mich., to accept public comment on the proposed decisions. Throughout the hearing hours, technical staff of the MDEQ will be available in an area adjacent to the hearing room to answer questions regarding the MDEQ’s reviews and proposed actions. In order to accommodate the anticipated number of speakers, presentations will be limited to five minutes. Written comments will also be received at the hearing.

Interested persons may submit written comments by mail or e-mail until 5 p.m. November 3, 2016. Mail your comments to DEQ Back Forty Comments, Office of Oil, Gas, and Minerals, 1504 West Washington Street, Marquette, MI 49855. E-mail your comments regarding the Back Forty Mine Project to the designated MDEQ mailbox at DEQ-Mining-Comments@michigan.gov. All verbal and written comments presented during the hearing and comment period will be considered prior to making a final decision on each of the proposed actions.

Individuals needing accommodations for effective participation at the hearing should contact Tina Coluccio, 906-228-4524 one week in advance of the hearing date to request mobility, visual, hearing, or other assistance.

The MDEQ is required by law to issue a final mining permit decision on or before December 1, 2016. However, the decision date may be extended if additional information from Aquila is needed to address issues raised by public comments.

Aquila submitted its permit application on November 11, 2015. A team of technical experts from the MDEQ and Michigan Department of Natural Resources carried out a thorough review of the application and required Aquila to submit extensive additional information. The MDEQ also held a public meeting on the application on January 5, 2016, and received public comments throughout the review process.

Click here to access the Mining Permit Application and other documents.

Click here for the air permit information.

Click here for info on the NPDES permit and related documents.

For more information about Aquila Resources and the Back Forty project, visit the Aquila Web site: www.aquilaresources.com/projects/back-forty-project.

For more information about the MDEQ, visit: www.michigan.gov/deq.

* Editor's Note: For more details, see Keweenaw Now's Sept. 1, 2016, article, "MDEQ to hold October public hearing on Aquila Back Forty mining project near Menominee River; public comment period continues."

MDEQ to hold October public hearing on Aquila Back Forty mining project near Menominee River; public comment period continues

By Michele Bourdieu

At a "lunch and learn" informative session on Aquila Resources’ Back Forty Project for an open-pit mine near the Menominee River, Save the Wild U.P. President Kathleen Heideman points out the location of the proposed pit (red circle) and its proximity to the Menominee River. Save the Wild U.P. held three of these sessions in Marquette to inform concerned citizens about the mining project so that they might participate in an upcoming MDEQ (Michigan Dept. of Environmental Quality) public hearing on permits required for the proposed mine. (Photo by Keweenaw Now)

MARQUETTE -- The Michigan Department of Environmental Quality (MDEQ) plans to hold a public hearing in early October 2016 on Aquila Resources' Back Forty Project -- an open-pit sulfide mine for gold, zinc and other metals, proposed for the bank of the Menominee River, 10 miles west of the town of Stephenson, Mich.

MDEQ held an initial public informational meeting on Aquila's Part 632 mining permit application on Jan. 5, 2016. The upcoming consolidated public hearing is intended to cover not only the proposed decision on the extensive (reportedly more than 37,000-page) Part 632 mining permit, but also the NPDES (National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System) wastewater draft permit and the Air Quality draft permit.

Joe Maki, MDEQ geologist for the Office of Oil, Gas and Minerals (Marquette), told Keweenaw Now today that he expects a Public Notice will probably be posted for the upcoming October public hearing as early as tomorrow, Sept. 2, 2016. A 30-day public comment period will precede the hearing and will continue after the hearing.

"Under 632, after the hearing, the statute says we are required to keep the public comment period open for 28 more days," Maki said, "but it could be open beyond that if we receive important technical information."

The NPDES is a wastewater discharge permit which would regulate water treatment and authorize wastewater discharges to the Menominee River.

An August 3, 2016, Public Notice of a 30-day comment period for the NPDES permit stated the following: "The applicant proposes to discharge treated mine drainage, treated wastewater, and treated storm water to the Menominee River. The applicant proposes to develop a polymetallic mineral deposit that will include an open pit mine, beneficiation facilities, and tailings  management facilities. The ores will be processed for zinc, copper, silver, and gold. This draft permit authorizes an increased loading of pollutants to the Menominee River, which will lower the water quality with respect to certain parameters."*

The Public Notice added that Aquila also submitted an Antidegradation Demonstration showing that "lowering of water quality is necessary to support the identified important social and economic development in the area."*

Aquila's NPDES permit application states, "Water discharge is required, since water demands of the milling facility are exceeded by water sources available from precipitation and mine water inflow. Excess water is treated and discharged through a discharge pipe/outfall directly to the Menominee River adjacent to the Project. This application requests approval to discharge treated water to surface waters of the state."*

Comments on NPDES draft permit to be accepted after Sept. 2 deadline

While the 30-day comment period on the NPDES draft permit is stated to end this Friday, Sept. 2, 2016, two MDEQ officials told Keweenaw Now that comments will be accepted beyond that date.

According to Steve Casey, Upper Peninsula District Supervisor, MDEQ Water Resources Division, people can still submit comments on the NPDES after Sept. 2 since another 30-day comment period to precede the consolidated public hearing will include that permit along with others.

Alvin Lam, environmental engineer in the Permit Section of MDEQ's Water Resources Division in Lansing, who receives the NPDES comments, confirmed yesterday that he would continue to accept comments emailed to him at lama@michigan.gov, even after the Sept. 2 deadline, when comments based on the Aug. 3 Public Notice will not be accepted on the Web site.

"If people want to submit comments to me by email I will accept them," Lam said.

Lam noted he has received about 10 comments through the Web site and a few more via email. He expects the gap between the two 30-day comment periods to be brief since a Public Notice on the hearing, tentatively to be scheduled for early October, is expected to be issued soon.

Casey said the NPDES public comment period for 30 days preceding the hearing could possibly be extended after the hearing as well.

"The statute (Part 31) is very protective of the water," Casey said. "It requires that we put restrictions on the discharge so that it doesn't cause significant degradation."

Save the Wild U.P. offers information on Back Forty project

During three "lunch and learn" sessions in Marquette, Save the Wild U.P. (SWUP) an environmental group that opposes sulfide mining, offered presentations and discussion to help concerned citizens learn about the complexities of the Back Forty project so they might be better prepared to participate in the upcoming public hearing.

During the July 18, 2016, session, SWUP President Kathleen Heideman displayed a map that shows the proposed location of the open-pit mine and its proximity to the Menominee River, near the Michigan-Wisconsin border:

During an informational session for concerned citizens in Marquette, Save the Wild U.P. (SWUP) President Kathleen Heideman describes the location of the proposed Aquila Resources Back Forty open-pit sulfide mining project near the Menominee River and notes the company's plan for a land swap with the State of Michigan, which owns much of the area. William Malmsten, former president of UPEC (Upper Peninsula Environmental Coalition), who moved to Marquette from Menominee County, speaks about the popular Shakey Lakes county park adjacent to the proposed mine site. Alexandra Maxwell, SWUP executive director, mentions a nearby savannah that is a special ecosystem. Click on YouTube icon for larger screen. (Video by Keweenaw Now)

In a list of "Aquila Back Forty Facts" on their Web site, Save the Wild U.P. states, "The entire planned Back Forty open pit mine and Tailings Waste Rock Management Facility basins (TWRMF) hinge on a single underlying assumption: that the State of Michigan will agree to a proposed LAND SWAP with Aquila Resources.The proposed land exchange threatens critical habitat, including threatened and endangered species. The mining proposal’s open pit mine, contingent upon the land swap, would disturb or destroy tribal archaeological resources, treaty protected natural resources, and Menominee River fisheries."**

Heideman pointed out the location of archaeological sites on her map. The Menominee Tribe has expressed serious concern that the mine would destroy several historical and sacred sites that date back 1000 years.***

Kathleen Heideman describes the archaeological sites in the area of the proposed mine, including the origin place of the Menominee people, garden mounds and burial sites. She also notes Aquila's proposal of a cutoff wall between the pit and the river. (Video by Keweenaw Now)

In addition to the NPDES permit for wastewater, Aquila must obtain a Wetlands permit since the proposed mine would impact several wetlands in the area.

According to Steve Casey, the Wetlands permit is different from the other permits because the Public Notice for wetlands is for the complete application, not a proposed decision, as in the case of the Part 632 mining permit, or a draft permit such as the NPDES or the Air Quality permit. He noted Aquila is now working on getting a complete application for wetlands. Consequently, the upcoming consolidated public hearing will not include the Wetlands permit.

"It's very different (for wetlands) because we ask for public input before we've completed our evaluation," Casey said.

In her July 18 presentation, Heideman pointed out the location of wetlands in the Back Forty project area and cited some errors made by Aquila in the wetlands application process.

On this detailed map, Heideman notes with blue stars the locations of wetlands near the proposed open-pit mine. The red star at left marks the location of the (NPDES) wastewater discharge pipe. (Video by Keweenaw Now)

SWUP's Fact Sheet notes that because Aquila's Back Forty is a potential sulfide mine, the danger of Acid Rock Drainage (ARD) is very high since it threatens to leach sulfuric acid into the Menominee River, which flows into Lake Michigan. SWUP cites concerns of the Center for Science in Public Participation, which did a technical review of the Aquila project and reported ARD as one of their concerns in a Feb. 24, 2016, letter to SWUP's Kathleen Heideman.****

Casey said the potential for ARD depends on what is in the ore.

"We're requiring treatment of their wastewater to meet water quality standards to protect the Menominee River," Casey explained.

The Part 31 water quality standards have been approved by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) as protective, he added.

From a request through the Freedom of Information Act, Save the Wild U.P. has received copies of Public Comments on Aquila’s Back Forty Project, received by MDEQ between December of 2015 and March 2016. SWUP says more than 2,000 members of the public -- including local residents, landowners, fishing enthusiasts, business owners, county officials, educators, tourists, tribal members, scientists, environmentalists and other concerned citizens -- expressed serious concerns about the project. SWUP has made these comments available online.

Maki said he read all the comments his office received, but he didn't remember getting as many as 2,000 of them. He said MDEQ has considered all aspects of the application.

"We will not close the public comment period (for Part 632) until we have made a final decision," Maki added.

Maki also pointed out that, under Part 632, a mining permit is not effective until all other environmental permits have been approved.

Editor's Update: A Sept. 2, 2016, press release from MDEQ confirms Oct. 6, 2016, as the date for the consolidated public hearing.

See also: "Aquila Resources: Putting Their Mine Where Our River Mouth Is?" by Tyler Detloff, reprinted from Anishnaabe News, Spring 2016, p. 10, by Save the Wild U.P.

Notes:

* Click here to download the complete Public Notice on the NPDES permit for Aquila Resources' Back Forty project and related MDEQ documents, including the draft NPDES permit.

** See SWUP's "Aquila Back Forty Facts."

*** Click here to read about the Menominee Tribe's connection to the Menominee River and its "Sixty Islands."

**** Click here to read the letter from the Center for Science in Public Participation.

Hancock bike lane on White St. allows cyclists to ride against one-way motorized traffic

By Michele Bourdieu

Earlier this summer, the City of Hancock had these bike symbols and a bike lane painted on White Street to indicate bicycles may proceed from U.S. 41 down the hill on White St., which has been one way going uphill in the opposite direction since 2014. (Photos by Keweenaw Now)

HANCOCK -- For the last two years White Street in Hancock, which bypasses downtown Hancock allowing vehicles (except trucks) to drive uphill to U.S. 41, has been designated a one-way street going uphill only. Recently, however, motorists going up White Street may have noticed a new bike lane on their left, which allows bikes to come down White Street facing the one-way traffic. Any bikes going up White Street must ride with the traffic, as indicated by a "sharrow" (an arrow for sharing the lane with traffic).

At the bottom of the hill, where White Street begins in downtown Hancock, this bike symbol, a "sharrow," indicates bikes going up the one-way street must share the lane with motorized vehicles. The bike lane is painted only on the opposite side of the street, for bikes coming down the hill, facing traffic.

Earlier this summer, Gustavo Bourdieu, Keweenaw Now photographer and local resident, who often crosses White Street from Pine Street to access his neighborhood, noticed contractors painting the downhill bike symbols and bike lane, took some photos and expressed his concern.

"Drivers just recently became accustomed to the one-way traffic going up White Street only, so they don't expect any traffic coming down," Bourdieu said. "It's even more dangerous now to allow bikes going down the hill because bikes may be going faster, with less control, and drivers going uphill may not anticipate the bicycles coming down."

This is a view of the bike symbol near the intersection of White and Pine streets earlier this summer. At that time the bike lane was not yet completed. Now it has been added, but no caution lines have been painted at this intersection to warn motorists approaching White Street from Pine Street or Shafter Street.

He also noted drivers coming onto White Street or crossing it from a side street need to be aware of the bicycles.

Hancock City Councilman John Slivon, who has been active in promoting safe biking in the Keweenaw, said he believes there is a need for more signage on White Street to warn vehicle drivers of the bicycle traffic going both ways.

However, at present, the bike symbols, the painted lane for the downhill bike traffic and some yellow caution lines at intersections with side streets are the only warnings to drivers of motorized vehicles.

The yellow caution lines are painted at some, but not all, of the intersections along White Street.

These yellow caution lines near the intersection of White Street and E. Franklin Street near downtown Hancock are intended to warn motorists, cyclists and pedestrians of the bicycle traffic coming downhill in the bike lane that opposes the one-way vehicle traffic. 

Bill Marlor, City of Hancock Department of Public Works (DPW) director and an active cyclist himself, said he directed painting of the bike lane and the yellow caution lines at most of the intersections on White Street.

When we reached him, Marlor said he had just returned from a vacation in Iceland, where he saw bicycles everywhere, even on very narrow roads. The capital, Reykjavik, is set up for both bicycles and cars, more than in the U.S., he noted.

"I bike to work most days," Marlor told Keweenaw Now. "It's a good way to wake up in the morning and wind down after work."

Marlor said he considers the bike lane on White Street as "very temporary" -- a trial for the present since Hancock's present street renovation project (with construction now on Quincy Street) will include construction on White Street in the near future.

"If the [bike] lane is to be kept, we would have to come up with signs for both the bicycle and motorized traffic control," Marlor said. "I've been using it with caution."

He noted cyclists must control their speed going down the hill, and he has thought about posting a speed limit equivalent to a "walk your bike" speed.

"The only thing we're going to do now is collect comments and design ideas from the [City of Hancock] Bike and Pedestrian Committee," Marlor added. "I'd like to do something there [on White Street] for bicycles and pedestrians for the future. The City could go back to a two-way street, eliminate the bike lane, keep it as now or change."

Hancock City Manager Glenn Anderson said the City is always looking at adding bike lanes, and right now they are asking MDOT (Michigan Dept. of Transportation) to mark bike lanes on M-203 with bike symbols inside the City.

"We can always do more signs," Anderson added. "We can always do more."

Bicycle Ride of Silence raises safety awareness

Last Wednesday, August 24, BIKE - Bike Initiative Keweenaw, which promotes cycling safety, partnering with local law enforcement, hosted a 19-mile Bicycle Ride of Silence from Hancock to Chassell and back to honor people who have been injured or killed while biking, particularly in several recent tragic events in Michigan this year, and to raise awareness among all of the users that share the road.

Participants in the 19-mile Aug. 24, 2016, Ride of Silence gather for a group photo. The bicyclists rode from Hancock to Chassell and back. (Photo courtesy of Ride of Silence Facebook page.)

Steve Lasco, organizer of the Ride of Silence, said about 80 bicyclists participated in the ride. Lasco is a member of BIKE - Bike Initiative Keweenaw and also a designee from WUPPDR (Western Upper Peninsula Planning and Development Region) on Hancock's Bike and Pedestrian Committee.

Bicyclists continue their Ride of Silence through downtown Houghton on Aug. 24, 2016. (Photo courtesy of Ride of Silence Facebook page)

"Distracted driving is a huge problem, even in our little area with its relatively light traffic, and that includes people older than 25," Lasco noted. "Far too many people drive their motor vehicle while looking at their phone or tablet. The fact is, distracted driving now has surpassed drunken driving as the USA’s Number One highway killer.

"The June incident in Kalamazoo (where an allegedly impaired driver plowed into nine cyclists riding in a group, killing five) just kind of hit me right in the heart and prompted me to organize our Ride of Silence," continued Lasco, a Keweenaw Bay resident. "I’ve been door-dinged, yelled at, and people have thrown things at me, all because I’m riding my bike lawfully on Michigan roads and streets. We simply ask that motorists slow down and share the road with cyclists and pedestrians. A motorist’s momentary lapse of awareness can in a second take the life of a cyclist or pedestrian. No text, game or video is so important that accessing it should cost another person their life."

Lasco also noted the Ride of Silence would not have been achievable without the support, cooperation and efforts of the City of Hancock Police Department, City of Houghton Police Department, Houghton County Sheriff’s Department, and the Department of Public Safety and Police Services at Michigan Tech University. 

In July, BIKE - Bike Initiative Keweenaw posted on their Facebook page a link to an article from the Detroit Free Press that noted "an alarming surge in [bicycle] crashes -- fatal and non-fatal -- reported by police agencies across the state." According to the article, bicycle fatalities in Michigan were up 57 percent from 2014 to 2015.*

* Click here for the July 13, 2016, Detroit Free Press article, "Fatal bicyclist crashes surged 57 percent in Michigan last year."

Pipe Out Paddle Protest 2016 against Line 5 oil pipeline to be Sept. 3

During the 2015 Pipe Out! Paddle flotilla protest, canoers and kayakers near the south end of the Mackinac Bridge call for shutting down Enbridge's Line 5 under the Straits of Mackinac. This year's protest will be Saturday, Sept. 3. (Photo by Keweenaw Now)*

MACKINAW CITY -- Calling all defenders of the Great Lakes! Concerned citizens calling for the SHUT DOWN of Enbridge Line 5 OIL PIPELINE under the Straits of Mackinac invite all Kayaktivists to join them in a flotilla of protest from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Saturday, Sept. 3, at Mackinac Lighthouse Park, N. Huron Ave. and N. Nicolet St., Mackinaw City, Mich. Protest launch times will be at 10 a.m. and 3 p.m.

Line 5 is a 63-year-old pipeline beneath the Straits of Mackinac. It carries light crude oil and natural gas, and it is owned by the same irresponsible company (Enbridge) that allowed the Kalamazoo River oil spill to occur. If this pipeline breaks, it will devastate the pristine waters of Lake Michigan for centuries. This pipeline poses too great a risk to our Great Lakes.*

A flotilla is a large group of kayaks/kayaktivists protesting on the water for a cause, or calling for an ACTION.  Some kayak rentals may be available, first come first serve. You can also observe the kayaks from shore. Grab-n-Go food and refreshments will be available. Visit the Pipe Out Paddle Facebook page for details and updates. Click here to register.

If you cannot attend, click here to donate to the cause.

* See Keweenaw Now's extensive article with videos and photos of last year's Pipe out Paddle Protest.

Hey, ho! Come to the Houghton County Fair Aug. 25, 26, 27, 28 in Hancock!

By Michele Bourdieu

The Houghton County Fair gets underway at 3 p.m. today, Aug. 25, 2016, and continues through Sunday, Aug. 28. The Midway will be the scene, not only of the popular rides but this year a Live Shark Encounter -- today at 3 p.m., 5:30 p.m. and 7:15 p.m. See the Brochure for the complete schedule. (2015 File photos by Keweenaw Now)

HANCOCK -- Hey, ho! Come to the 2016 Houghton County Fair, opening at 3 p.m. today, Thursday, Aug. 25, at the Houghton County Fairgrounds, 1500 Birch St. in Hancock.

These cows seem to be engaged in a riveting conversation during the 2015 Houghton County Fair. This year don't miss the Swine, Dairy and Beef shows at the Livestock Pavilion on Friday, Aug. 26. Friday, from noon to 4 p.m., is also senior day and seniors 55 and over receive a Free Lunch! (2015 Video by Keweenaw Now)

This young farmer with the captivating smile is proud of her prize-winning rabbits. The Poultry and Rabbit Show this year is at 3 p.m. TODAY, THURSDAY, in the Small Animal Barn.

Sisters Carol and Nancy Bird enjoy the 2015 plant exhibit.

Prize winners in the 2015 Exhibit Hall, with the Mardi Gras theme. This year don't miss the 4-H exhibits, craft show and more in the Exhibit Hall, open until 10 p.m. Thursday through Saturday and 5 p.m. on Sunday.

The Daily Gate Fee for the Fair is still a reasonable $7 for adults 16 and over, $5 for youth 7-15, and free for kids 6 and under. A one-day family pass is $20 for 2 adults and 4 children (7-15) from the same family entering as a group.  Click here for details and the whole schedule in the online Brochure.

Celebrate Aug. 25 National Park Service Centennial with Keweenaw National Historical Park

Today, Thursday, Aug. 25, marks the 100th anniversary of the National Park Service (NPS), which  was created to protect 35 national parks. Celebrate the Centennial with Keweenaw National Historical Park (KNHP) at Quincy Mine in Hancock and in Calumet. See the schedule above. Visit the KNHP Facebook page for more info. (Poster courtesy Keweenaw National Historical Park)

New slide shows feature Keweenaw Science and Engineering Festival, alumni visitors, Science Fair winners, Lake Superior Celebration

By Michele Bourdieu

Carleigh Etapa, 2, of Oakfield, Wis., tries out a ringside seat during a tour of the 47-foot long U.S. Coast Guard Motor Lifeboat docked at the Great Lakes Research Center (GLRC) during the Aug. 5 Keweenaw Water Festival. Her Dad, Michigan Tech alumnus Jeff Etapa, supervises while Mom, Jen Etapa, tries to take her photo. (Photo by Keweenaw Now)

HOUGHTON -- Michigan Tech's Great Lakes Research Center (GLRC) and Houghton's Kestner Waterfront Park were full of activities for visiting alumni and families during the Keweenaw Science and Engineering Festival (KSEF) held Aug. 4, 5 and 6, 2016. From the Coast Guard boat tour to Michigan Tech's Mind Trekkers' hands-on science challenges and puzzles, kids of all ages learned about science and technology while having fun and enjoying sunny August weather.

Keweenaw Now captured some of the highlights of these events with photos we have now posted in our new slide show format. We also have added a slide show on the Western UP Science Fair winners and the April 26 Lake Superior Celebration at the GLRC. (See Slide Show announcement and links in our right-hand column).

Kris Hill, Coast Guard petty officer, who has spent four years as an engineer on the Coast Guard vessel, led visitors on a tour of the boat. He explained its purpose as a rescue vessel and pointed out the features that make this aluminum boat one of only two Coast Guard boats built to withstand hurricane-force winds and 20-foot waves on Lake Superior.

Pointing to the antennae on the Coast Guard vessel, Kris Hill, Coast Guard petty officer, explains to the Jordan family of Hancock some of the radio and radar equipment and the boat's capacity to survive even a complete roll-over, self-righting in less than 10 seconds. Pictured here are Catherine Jordan and her two sons, Adam (right) and Austin. (Photo by Keweenaw Now)*

"My job is what people retired hope to do," Hill said with a smile.

Groups of Michigan Tech alumni also had the opportunity to take a cruise on Michigan Tech's Research Vessel Agassiz during the Aug. 5 event at the GLRC.

Michigan Tech alumni visitors board the R/V Agassiz for an educational cruise. Inside the cabin, Captain Steve Roblee prepares the boat for a trip on the Keweenaw Waterway. (Photo by Keweenaw Now)

Guy Meadows, GLRC executive director and Michigan Tech professor, assisted visiting alumni in boarding Michigan Tech's R/V Agassiz for a cruise that including viewing the university's side-scan sonar equipment.

Guy Meadows, Michigan Tech professor and executive director of the Great Lakes Research Center waits on the dock outside the Center to help visitors on and off the R/V Agassiz (setting off for a cruise, top right) during the Aug. 5, 2016, event. At left is the 47-foot U.S. Coast Guard rescue vessel. (Photo by Keweenaw Now)

Meadows said he was happy to have the Coast Guard boat available for visitor tours during the Aug. 5 event.

"They're very impressive boats," he said of the 47-foot aluminum Coast Guard boat. "It's nice that they bring it down here for everybody to see."

Meadows was pleased with the number of visitors and the fact that the alumni reunion coincided with the Keweenaw Science and Engineering Festival.

"We had a really good turnout," he said. "Good weather sure helps!"

Visitors learn about invasive watermilfoil

Outside and inside the GLRC, Michigan Tech researchers displayed some of the university projects on invasive watermilfoil, a persistent aquatic plant that forms dense mats of vegetation on the surface of water. Milfoil mats can clog water intakes, interfere with swimming and boating and negatively impact other natural aquatic life.

Michigan Tech's Casey Huckins, right, professor of biological sciences, welcomes Michigan Tech alumnus Bryan Milde and his wife, Patti Milde, of Atlantic Mine, Mich., and answers their questions about invasive species. (Photo by Keweenaw Now)

Taylor Zallek, left, and Ryan Van Goethem, Michigan Tech graduate students in biological sciences, assist young future scientists Owen Cogswell, 5, and Kyle Cogswell, 9, in comparing native and invasive watermilfoil plants under the microscope. The Cogswell family, from Rousseau, Mich., were participating in the Keweenaw Science and Engineering Festival. (Photo by Keweenaw Now)

Inside the GLRC Pengfei Xue, Michigan Tech University assistant professor in civil and environmental engineering, explains computer modeling that helps researchers by showing the actions of invasive Eurasian watermilfoil now found in the Les Cheneaux Islands of Lake Huron. The invasive plant is spread by recreational activities, including boating. It has also been found in Torch Lake, but not yet in greater Lake Superior, he added. (Video by Keweenaw Now)

Kestner Waterfront Park: Family Engineering, Mind Trekkers, Science Theatre, more ... 

The Keweenaw Science and Engineering Festival (KSEF) kicked off on Aug. 4 with Family Engineering Night at Kestner Waterfront Park, hosted  by Michigan Tech’s Center for Science and Environmental Outreach. Hands-on challenges for the whole family included designing and constructing the tallest tower with spaghetti and marshmallows, a solar house, wind turbines with popsicle sticks and styrofoam balls, and a geodesic dome made of toothpicks.

"It was wonderful to see how intent the youth were at solving the many engineering challenges they tackled. Most of the supplies are household items and can easily be repeated and 'improved upon' at home, just like real engineers always make improvements on their initial designs!" observed Joan Chadde, director of the Michigan Tech Center for Science and Environmental Outreach.

"The Michigan Tech students were terrific role models and encouraging coaches for the kids," Chadde added. 

During Family Engineering Night on Aug. 4, 2016, Joan Chadde, director of Michigan Tech's Center for Science and Environmental Outreach and coordinator of Family Engineering Night, helps the students test the paper package creations they made to hold exactly 293 pieces of popcorn. (Photo courtesy Joan Chadde)

Ryan Dixon of Houghton displays his colorful "Foam Gnome" creation, made with two different polymers, with Mind Trekkers member Kayla Wilson, Michigan Tech student in mechanical engineering technology, who is holding one that she made. (Photo by Keweenaw Now)

"Don't try this at home," warns Patrick Morgan of Michigan State University Science Theatre, as he makes "elephant toothpaste" by adding a catalyst to hydrogen peroxide in a chemistry demonstration in Kestner Waterfront Park during the Aug. 6, 2016 KSEF events. (Photo by Keweenaw Now)

April 2016: Science Fair Winners and Lake Superior Celebration

On April 16, 2016, the Carnegie Museum hosted a reception for Western UP Science Fair winners.

At the April 16 Carnegie Museum reception for Western UP Science Fair winners, Devin Messina, a 5th grader at Chassell Elementary, explains her project to prove the time it takes to peel an orange, based on eyesight. (April photos by Keweenaw Now)

Ritvik Thakur and his partner, Jacob Gordon (not pictured), Houghton Elementary 5th graders, compared three types of tennis balls -- cold, hot and room temperature -- to find out which bounced the highest. Ritvik explained that the contraction of air particles in the cold balls is the reason they have less force for bouncing.

Kids had a variety of opportunities for scientific activities at the April 26, 2016, Lake Superior Celebration in the GLRC. Community members of all ages also had an opportunity to learn about local recycling initiatives.

At the April 26, 2016, Lake Superior Celebration at Michigan Tech's Great Lake Research Center, Isle Royale National Park Ranger Valerie Martin shows kids some hands-on biology experiments.

During the Lake Superior Celebration, a young visitor tries out the controls for a Remotely Operated Vehicle (ROV), an underwater robot designed by students at Dollar Bay High School. 

An example of kids' art selected for the North Woods Kids (K-12) Art Exhibit from Western UP, displayed at the GLRC during the April 26 Lake Superior Celebration.

Lloyd Wescoat of Michigan Tech's Lake Superior Stewardship Initiative (LSSI), one of the main sponsors of the Lake Superior Celebration, serves yummy chocolate cake to participants and visitors.

The April 26 Lake Superior Celebration was sponsored by the Lake Superior Stewardship Initiative, Michigan STEM Partnership, Western U.P. Center for Science, Mathematics and Environmental Education, Michigan Tech Center for Science and Environmental Outreach, Michigan Tech Center for Water and Society, and the Copper Country Recycling Initiative.

For more photos of these events, showcasing recent Keweenaw science activities and education, click on the links below for our recent slide show photo albums:

Keweenaw Water Festival August 5, 2016

Keweenaw Science and Engineering Festival 2016: Events at Kestner Waterfront Park in Houghton, Michigan

April 2016: Science Fair winners; GLRC Lake Superior Celebration

Click on the first photo in the album. If the caption is not visible, click on the info icon. Then click on forward arrows to view the album as a slide show.

Aug. 23: United Nations International Day for the Remembrance of the Slave Trade and its Abolition

Today, Tuesday, Aug. 23, is the annual United Nations International Day for the Remembrance of the Slave Trade and its Abolition. Recently First Lady Michelle Obama called attention to the fact that she, President Obama and their daughters live in a White House that was built substantially by Black slaves.*

In a recent Huffington Post article titled "Why I’m Ready For President Obama To Leave The White House," Lawrence Ware, a philosopher of race teaching in the Bible Belt, says, "Barack Obama must be the most disrespected president in American history."

After giving several examples of that disrespect, particularly from Senate Republicans, Ware says the white supremacy in this country is "here to stay," causing him to lose the hope that he shared with other African Americans when Obama was elected.

"I’m tired of seeing President Obama blatantly disrespected, and my soul is weary from having to see him grin and bear it. I’m ready for President Obama to be free from the burden of having to perform for white supremacy -- and I’m ready to be free from the burden of having to watch him do it," Ware concludes.**

Click here to read Lawrence Ware's article in the Huffington Post. It was originally published in New Black Man (in Exile).

Editor's Notes:

* Click here to read about the role of slaves in building the White House.

** Thanks to Keweenaw resident Joanne Thomas for calling our attention to this Day of Remembrance and to Professor Ware's article.