Environmental groups to hold forum "Save the Michigamme Highlands" March 1 in Marquette

Save the Wild U.P. and the Upper Peninsula Environmental Coalition invite the public to the forum "Save the Michigamme Highlands" on Tuesday, March 1st. (Photo courtesy Save the Wild U.P.)

MARQUETTE -- Local environmental groups Save the Wild U.P. (SWUP) and the Upper Peninsula Environmental Coalition (UPEC) will co-host "Save the Michigamme Highlands," an informational forum concerning threats to Marquette County’s last stretch of wild lands. The forum will take place from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. on Tuesday, March 1st, in the Community Room of the Peter White Public Library in Marquette. The event is free and open to the public.

The primary threat to this region remains the twice-defeated County Road 595 (CR-595) proposal, which is the subject of ongoing lawsuit brought by the Marquette County Road Commission (MCRC) against the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). The contentious CR-595 plan would have torn open the wild heart of Marquette County, pushing a paved mining haul road disguised as a "county road project" through 22 miles of remote wild lands, fragile wetlands and critical wildlife corridors, and necessitating stream and river crossings of the Dead River, Escanaba River, Mulligan Creek, Voekler Creek and Wildcat Canyon, Yellow Dog River, and many more.

This aerial photograph shows Wildcat Canyon Creek wetlands and the proposed 595 route (2015). (Photo courtesy Save the Wild U.P.)

Tuesday’s forum will offer an overview of the Michigamme Highlands and discuss federal objections to wetlands destruction along the CR-595 route, the lawsuit brought by the Marquette County Road Commission, the role of "dark money" in funding the lawsuit, recent road work that has taken place along the route, and other emerging threats.*

"Save the Michigamme Highlands" will feature mini-presentations addressing rare plants in the path of CR-595, basic elements of the MCRC lawsuit, the importance of interconnected "Wild Lands," the EPA’s 2015 Clean Water Rule, the beauty of remote wetlands as seen through the eyes of artists who visited Wildcat Canyon Creek in 2015, and more. Speakers include Jon Saari, Northern Michigan University professor emeritus of history and vice president of Save the Wild U.P.; Catherine Parker, concerned citizen and environmental advocate; Gene Champagne, spokesman for the Concerned Citizens of Big Bay; Michelle Halley, local attorney; Steve Garske, botanist and SWUP board member; Kathleen Heideman, SWUP’s president; and Alexandra Maxwell, SWUP’s executive director.

In 2015, Save the Wild U.P. focused their outdoor summer programming on multiple threats posed by the CR- 595 proposal. They led concerned citizens on several well-attended hikes at remote locations ranging from Pinnacle Falls to the Mulligan Creek wetlands.

 

SWUP Summer Fellows at the Dead River (2015). (Photo courtesy Save the Wild U.P.)

"This stretch of wild land is irreplaceable. The Michigamme Highlands are ideal habitat for moose and other wide-roaming mammals, rich with creeks, rivers and wetlands, and home to the narrow-leaved gentian, a threatened native species found only in three U.P. counties," said Maxwell. "In addition to the enormous environmental impacts, there’s the very real issue of regulatory capture. Why is our Road Commission so dedicated to building a road-to-nowhere -- for the benefit of one sulfide mine? We don’t even have enough money to fill potholes in Marquette County, much less fix our old bridges. Who is the Road Commission serving, if not taxpayers?"

Maxwell said the cumulative impacts of road construction in this environmentally sensitive area must be calculated.

“Any road construction in this environmentally sensitive area must be seen as part of a network of actions related to CR-595," Maxwell explained. "We need to be ever-vigilant to stop creeping incrementalism -- a new bridge here, a gravel mine there, and lots of wetland destruction all along the way. The CR-595 proposal remains a bad deal for taxpayers and the environment."

In 2014, SWUP, along with regional environmental allies, alerted citizens to illegal construction along snowmobile Trail #5, which served as the only functional trail through much of this isolated region.

Marquette County Trail #5, 2014, before road work. (Photo courtesy Save the Wild U.P.)

Kathleen Heideman, SWUP president, noted, "The EPA’s position was clear: no CR-595 route may be constructed without permits from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers."

Marquette County Trail #5, 2014, after road work by Plum Creek. (Photo courtesy Save the Wild U.P.)

Heideman said the forum is an opportunity for the public to learn why this stretch of wild lands needs to be protected -- for its clean water and its contribution to a better quality of life for all U.P. residents.

"Our organizations remain outspoken opponents of the CR-595. The damage would be too great, period," said Heideman.

* Editor's Note: See Louis V. Galdieri's recent article, A Postscript on the Political Project of MCRC v. EPA.

Absentee voting information for March 8 Michigan Presidential Primary Election

LANSING -- The Michigan Presidential Primary Election is Tuesday, March 8, 2016. To be eligible to vote in this March 8 election you must be registered by Feb. 8, 2016. Registered voters who are unable to vote that day may apply for an absentee ballot.

As a registered voter, you may obtain an absent voter ballot for one of the following reasons:

• age 60 years old or older
• unable to vote without assistance at the polls
• expecting to be out of town on election day
• in jail awaiting arraignment or trial
• unable to attend the polls due to religious reasons
• appointed to work as an election inspector in a precinct outside of your precinct of residence.

A person who registers to vote by mail must vote in person in the first election in which he or she participates. The restriction does not apply to overseas voters, voters who are disabled or voters who are 60 years of age or older. (Voting in person on one governmental level clears the restriction on the other levels. For example, if a voter subject to the restriction votes in person at a school election, the voter would be free to obtain an absentee ballot for the first state election in which he or she wishes to participate.)

Requesting an Absent Voter Ballot

Your request for an absent voter ballot must be in writing and can be submitted by mail or in person to your city or township clerk. Your request must include one of the six statutory reasons stated above and your signature. You must request an absent voter ballot by mailing the application, large print application, a letter, a postcard, or a pre-printed application form obtained from your local clerk's office. Requests to have an absent voter ballot mailed to you must be received by your clerk (by mail or in person) no later than 2 p.m. Saturday, March 5, 2016. (Even though this is a Saturday some local clerks may be in their offices until 2 p.m. on March 5.)

Once your request is received by the local clerk, your signature on the request will be checked against your voter registration record before a ballot is issued. You must be a registered voter to receive an absent voter ballot. Requests for absent voter ballots are processed immediately. Absent voter ballots may be issued to you in person or at your home address or any address outside of your city or township of residence. You may also apply for the absentee ballot in person and vote in person in the clerk's office the same day.

After receiving your absent voter ballot, you have until 8 p.m. on March 8, election day, to complete the ballot and return it to the clerk's office. Your ballot will not be counted unless your signature is on the return envelope and matches your signature on file. If you received assistance voting the ballot, then the signature of the person who helped you must also be on the return envelope. Only you, a family member or person residing in your household, a mail carrier, or election official is authorized to deliver your signed absent voter ballot to your clerk's office.

If an emergency, such as a sudden illness or family death prevents you from reaching the polls on election day, you may request an emergency absent voter ballot. Requests for an emergency ballot must be submitted after the deadline for regular absent voter ballots has passed but before 4 p.m. on election day. The emergency must have occurred at a time which made it impossible for you to apply for a regular absent voter ballot. Your local clerk will have more information about emergency absent voter ballots.

Voting is one of the most cherished and fundamental rights in our country. If you are eligible to obtain an absent voter ballot and cannot attend the polls on election day, use of the absent voter ballot is strongly encouraged.

For more Michigan voter information click here.

Keweenaw Symphony Orchestra to present Celebration of Concertos Feb. 27 at Rozsa Center

HOUGHTON -- The Rozsa Center is pleased to welcome the Keweenaw Symphony Orchestra (KSO) in their Celebration of Concertos at 7:30 p.m. this Saturday, Feb. 27.

The eight talented winners of the KSO Concerto Competition join the Keweenaw Symphony Orchestra in an exciting evening of concertos by Prokofiev, Strauss, Mendelssohn, Offenbach, Puccini, Saint-Saens, Massenet, Kabalevsky, and Mozart.

Tickets are on sale now: $19 for adults, $6 for youth, and no charge for Michigan Tech students with the Experience Tech fee. Tickets are available by phone at (906) 487-2073, online at Rozsa.mtu.edu, in person at the Central Ticketing Office in the Student Development Complex (SDC), or at the Rozsa Box Office the evening of the performance. Please note: the Rozsa Box Office only opens two hours prior to performances.

Carnegie Museum to host opening reception for exhibit "Black Voices in the Copper Country" Feb. 23

Members of the Michigan Tech African-American student group, 1981. (Exhibit photo courtesy Michigan Tech Archives)

HOUGHTON -- The Carnegie Museum in Houghton will host a Reception and Presentation of the exhibit "Black Voices in the Copper Country," beginning at 6:30 p.m. Tuesday, Feb. 23. At 7 p.m. in the museum's downstairs Community Room, Lindsay Hiltunen, Michigan Tech Senior Archivist and curator of the exhibit, will talk about the exhibit, the project, and the mission of the Michigan Tech Archives.

Exhibit and program are free and open to the public. Refreshments will be served.

The Michigan Technological University Archives and Copper Country Historical Collections recently partnered with the Carnegie Museum of the Keweenaw to launch a photograph installation documenting moments in local African American history. This exhibit is part of the Black Voices in the Copper Country project, a research and outreach series developed by the Michigan Tech Archives. Designed to illuminate black social history in Michigan’s northwestern Upper Peninsula, especially Houghton and Keweenaw counties, the primary goal of this project is to inform and engage the public about the existence of historic black residents in the Copper Country and to explore how themes of community, belonging and identity evolved and changed over time, from the late 1800s to the present day. These themes are explored in both an historical and a modern context, with sights set on exploring the region generally as well as on activities and student life at the Michigan Technological University campus.

The Black Voices project is funded in part by the Michigan Humanities Council, an affiliate of the National Endowment for the Humanities. For more information about the project or the Michigan Tech Archives, please contact Lindsay Hiltunen at (906) 487-2505 or email copper@mtu.edu.

Portage Library to host film exposé of rape culture on U.S. campuses, with panel discussion, March 1

HOUGHTON -- The Portage Lake District Library will host a screening of the film The Hunting Ground at 6 p.m., followed by a panel discussion at 7:45 p.m., on Tuesday, March 1.

Produced by the directors of The Invisible War, a documentary about sexual assault in the United States military, The Hunting Ground presents a startling exposé of rape culture on U.S. campuses, institutional cover-ups, and the brutal social toll on victims and their families. Weaving together actual footage and first-person testimonies, the film follows survivors as they pursue their education while fighting for justice. This film was shown at the 2015 Sundance Film Festival.

The film will be followed by a question and answer discussion with panelists from the Michigan Technological University Department of Institutional Equity and Inclusion/Title IX, the Barbara Kettle Gundlach Shelter Home, and Dial Help, Inc.

All library programs are free and everyone is invited. For more information please call the library at 482-4570 or send an email to info@pldl.org.

African Night to feature storytelling, dance, fashion Feb. 20 at Michigan Tech

Star Misskemi, a Nigerian model, designer and makeup artist from Lower Michigan, will be one of the guest performers at AFRICAN NIGHT this Saturday, Feb. 20, in the MUB on Michigan Tech's campus. (Photo © Raphael Goudy and courtesy Michigan Tech African Students Association)

HOUGHTON -- Michigan Tech's African Students Association will host AFRICAN NIGHT Saturday Feb. 20, in Michigan Tech's MUB Ballroom. Dinner is from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. with a performance from 8 p.m. to 10 p.m. This year's theme is "The African Market Experiences."

Featured performers this year are the following:

Madafo the Storyteller will offer laughter, stories and song at African Night Feb. 20. (Photo © Paul Morris and courtesy Michigan Tech African Students Association)

•  Madafo the Storyteller -- Madafo tells classic tales for the young and elderly, recites poetry written by the masters and plays the music of the sage. The works of Langston Hughes, Zora Neale Hurston, Kahlil Gibran and other favorite authors are presented in this delightful and insightful program of timeless laughter, folk literature and song.

Bichinis Bia Congo Dance Theatre members will perform authentic Congolese Dance during African Night at Michigan Tech. (Photo courtesy Michigan Tech African Students Association)

•  Bichinis Bia Congo Dance Theatre -- Established in 1979 by Brazzaville Congo native Jean-Claude Biougilla Biza (Sompa), Bichinis Bia is a performance theater that promotes the preservation and practice of authentic Congolese Dance and African Culture.

• Star Fashion Show -- Star Misskemi is a Nigerian model, designer and makeup artist based in Lower Michigan running House of Zuri, an African-inspired agency providing services in fashion designing, modeling, styling, photography and Makeup-artistry.

Other attractions are a photo-booth and souvenir store featuring African print apparels and accessories available for people to purchase. Tickets, which include both dinner and show, are $10 each and are available from noon to 3 p.m. weekdays in the Memorial Union Commons. If you are unable to arrange purchasing tickets on campus, call or text 906-370-6072 for assistance.

Guest article: A Postscript on the Political Project of MCRC v. EPA

By Louis V. Galdieri
Posted on his blog Feb. 15, 2016*
Reprinted with permission

A ProPublica investigation of dark money organizations lends context and additional color to some of what I had to say a a short while ago about the Marquette County Road Commission’s (MCRC) lawsuit against the EPA.

Sponsored by State Senator Tom Casperson, the Republican representing Michigan’s 38th district, the MCRC lawsuit is being funded by a non-profit organization called Stand UP. Stand UP is exactly the kind of dark money organization profiled by ProPublica: it’s a special kind of non-profit, a 501c4 "social welfare" organization that is not required by law to disclose the names of donors. It does not have to confine its fundraising and expenditures to the MCRC lawsuit or any other specific purpose. It is a trough of dark money that can serve any number of political efforts.

So, as I tried to suggest in a series of posts on the MCRC complaint (here, here, here and here), while the lawsuit is nominally over a haul road that will serve both mining and timber companies, it also appears to be part of a larger, coordinated effort to sideline federal regulators, stifle local environmental watchdogs, and arrogate the authority and power to direct economic development in the Upper Peninsula to a set of undisclosed actors and moneyed interests.

Now, as Robert Faturechi reports, with efforts in 38 states to make non-profit organizations like Stand UP more accountable and transparent gaining ground, powerful conservative groups are "coaching" allies on how to fight back against any new legislation requiring the disclosure of dark money sources. The tactics they recommend should sound familiar:

Get the debate to focus on an "average Joe," not a wealthy person. Find examples of "inconsequential donation amounts." Point out that naming donors would be a threat to "innocents," including their children, families and co-workers.
And never call it dark money. "Private giving" sounds better.

They urge dark money groups to claim the victim’s mantle and to see conservatives as "a persecuted class," according to one January 2016 memo Faturechi uncovered. It’s "all part of a plan to choke off our air supply of funding," they warn.

The documents presented by Faturechi were distributed at a conference held in Grand Rapids by The State Policy Network. The Network "calls pro-regulation activists 'enemies of debate,'" and generally takes the line that regulation quashes freedom and criminalizes belief -- a refrain often heard from climate change denialists -- and that transparency will only threaten privacy.

The State Policy Network brings together conservative and tea-party organizations from around the country dedicated to "advancing freedom and making a difference," so it’s well positioned to coordinate local efforts like the MCRC lawsuit against the EPA with other state, regional and national causes. In Michigan, the Network’s member organization is the Mackinac Center for Public Policy. Just last week, they ran a widely shared update (303 "likes" and counting) on the MCRC lawsuit in which Casperson crows about the progress they’ve made in the discovery phase of the suit and wails about prejudicial treatment at the EPA.

* Click here to visit Louis V. Galdieri's blog.

Inset photo: Guest author Louis V. Galdieri. (File photo courtesy Save the Wild U.P.)

Carnegie Museum to host "Keweenaw Wetlands" Natural History Seminar Feb. 16

Wetlands such as this one are the subject of the Tuesday, Feb. 16, Natural History Seminar by Michigan Tech Prof. Rod Chimner at the Carnegie Museum. (Photo courtesy Carnegie Museum)

HOUGHTON -- The Carnegie Museum will host "Keweenaw Wetlands" by Rod Chimner, Michigan Tech associate professor at the School of Forest Resources and Environmental Science, from 7 p.m. to 8 p.m. on Tuesday, Feb. 16, in the ground floor community room. Refreshments and introductions are at 6:30 p.m.

Prof. Chimner has worked for over 20 years studying wetlands. He currently teaches a senior level wetlands class and graduate level courses in advanced wetlands and restoration ecology at Michigan Tech.

"Wetlands are unique ecosystems that provide many benefits, including protecting shorelines from wave erosion, filtering nutrients and sediments before they enter aquatic systems, storing enormous amounts of carbon, and providing habitats for a variety of species," Chimner says. "Despite the importance of wetlands, many wetlands have been destroyed or are in various states of degradation. I will present a brief overview of what a wetland is, adaptations for surviving in wetlands, types of wetlands in the region, and an overview of local wetland restoration."

This  February Natural History seminar is sponsored by Superior National Trust and Financial Services. All seminars are free, open to the public, and wheelchair accessible.

Save the Wild U.P.: Will Michigan DEQ reject fraudulent Back Forty mine permit?

"Don’t Undermine the Menominee River!" -- an informational forum reviewing the Back Forty sulfide mine proposal and what’s at stake -- will take place from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. on Wednesday, Feb. 17, 2016, in the Shiras Room of the Peter White Public Library in Marquette. (Poster courtesy Save the Wild U.P.)

From Save the Wild U.P.
Posted Feb. 5, 2016, on savethewildup.org
Reprinted with permission. 

MARQUETTE --  Grassroots environmental group Save the Wild U.P. (SWUP) has announced that they will be asking Michigan Department of Environmental Quality (MDEQ) to reject Aquila’s Back Forty mine permit application. SWUP is raising alarming questions about false or contradictory statements made in Aquila Resources’ Back Forty mine permit application. Aquila plans on developing an open pit sulfide mine on the Menominee River, extracting rock, processing ore -- containing lead, zinc, copper, gold and other heavy metals -- with flotation, cyanide and smelting, and dumping their waste on the banks of Upper Michigan’s largest watershed.

The Back Forty mine permit application -- over 37,500 pages, including the environmental impact assessment -- is currently under review by the MDEQ. Concerned citizens, regional environmental organizations, and the Menominee Tribe of Wisconsin are also scrutinizing the permit.*

When reviewing any mine proposal, one basic question must be answered: "What is the proposed Life of Mine (LOM)?" In order to correctly calculate a mine’s risks, benefits and cumulative environmental impacts, an accurate LOM estimate is essential. According to Aquila’s permit application, "The (Back Forty) Project will be an open pit mining operation" and the “Life of Mine (LOM) operation is planned to be approximately 7 years."

This is misleading. Elsewhere, Aquila describes the Back Forty project as having a "16 year life of mine (LOM), of which 12.5 Mt is open-pit and 3.6 Mt is underground." Back Forty is described as a 16 year mine in Aquila’s press releases, in communications with the Menominee Indian Tribe, and in letters to investors and local community leaders. According to their Project Fact Sheet: "we support a transparent process(…) visit our website at aquilaresources.com/projects/back-forty-project for more information." Visitors to Aquila’s website find a 16 year mine described.

"Apparently, the only folks who haven’t been told about Aquila’s 16 year open pit and underground mining plan are the DEQ regulators who are busy at this very moment, reviewing Aquila’s application for a 7 year open pit mine," said Kathleen Heideman, SWUP president.

Significantly, the 16 year LOM is described in Aquila’s current NI 43-101 report, required by Canadian Securities Administrators.

"Aquila’s NI 43-101 report should be used by Michigan regulators to truth-test whether this company is being 'open and transparent' concerning the Back Forty project," said Michelle Halley, Marquette attorney and member of Save the Wild U.P.’s advisory board.

Diagram from Aquila's NI 43-101 report. (Image courtesy Save the Wild U.P.)

Is Aquila lying To state regulators? Should DEQ Care?

Aquila’s application asserts that mining and milling facilities are scaled to accommodate the life of the mine. By minimizing LOM, the company can misrepresent all of the mine’s impacts, including tailings capacity, size of waste rock storage areas, total limestone needed for neutralizing total waste rock, total need for importing and storing cyanide and other chemicals used in the processing of the ore, total crushing and processing throughput, milling equipment capacity, water treatment plant capacity, dewatering and draw-down estimates, air pollution quantities, noise, pit backfilling estimates, remediation planning, post-closure timelines, and more.

"The Back Forty mine application raises more red flags than I can count -- critical oak savannas, sturgeon fisheries, treaty-protected natural resources, and indigenous archaeological sites will be threatened or destroyed by this mining operation," said Alexandra Maxwell, SWUP’s executive director. "Sulfide mines are known to pollute indefinitely. This mine doesn’t belong on the Menominee River."

Aquila's application indicates the project will not include underground mining. Click on image for larger version. (Figure courtesy Save the Wild U.P.)

By claiming that "no underground mining" will occur, Aquila’s application sidestepped valid regulatory concerns under Michigan’s Part 632 rules governing sulfide mining. In the application checklist, underground items were marked "not applicable," and Aquila skipped questions about Subsidence, Impacts to Public or Private Water Supply Wells, Closure of Openings and more, stating "project does not include an underground mine as such contingency planning for subsidence is not required." In the permit application, Aquila flatly states "underground mining was considered but rejected (…) underground mining is not a prudent alternative for this ore body. The shallowness of the ore body, specifically the shallow ore zones, heavily influences the effectiveness of open pit mining."

Heideman noted Aquila has ruled out underground mining only in their permit application, not in other documents.**

"Are they talking out of both sides of their mouth?" she asked. "It undermines their credibility."

"The Aquila Back Forty project must not be permitted on the basis of a fraudulent permit application for a short-lived open pit mine, only to have the company request endless revisions until Back Forty’s open pit gradually morphs into an unrecognizable and potentially unregulated underground mine," warned Maxwell.

The Back Forty mine permit application for a 7 year mine appears misleading and inaccurate, at best, and fraudulent at worst. Aquila’s clear intent -- expressed in every document except their mine permit application -- is to develop a 16 year mine. Tacking on a subsequent underground mining phase could increase the mine’s life by a factor of 129 percent, forcing dramatic and non-public-involved revisions to every aspect of the permit application currently under review by the State of Michigan.

"If Aquila affirms that this 7 year open pit LOM is accurate, and defends the permit application, all public statements containing the Back Forty’s 16 year life of mine estimate should be viewed as baseless or fraudulent statements, designed to attract investors and gain greater political and community support," said Heideman.

Maxwell added, "Misinformation about the 'life of mine' has infected this permit application. We are asking DEQ regulators to act promptly to dismiss Aquila’s mine permit application, given the inaccurate statements. Public trust in our regulatory process is at stake."

DEQ Public Comment Deadline extended; info sessions to be held

Public Comment Deadline has been EXTENDED to February 16! -- Concerned citizens and other interested persons are urged to submit written comments by mail or e-mail until 5 p.m. on Tuesday, Feb. 16, 2016. Mail your comments to MDEQ Back Forty Mine Comments, Office of Oil, Gas, and Minerals, 1504 West Washington Street, Marquette, Michigan, 49855; or by email to Joe Maki: makij3@michigan.gov.

Save the Wild U.P. and Front 40 will host "Don’t Undermine the Menominee River!" -- an informational forum reviewing the Back Forty sulfide mine proposal and what’s at stake. The forum will take place from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. on Wednesday, Feb. 17, 2016, in the Shiras Room of the Peter White Public Library in Marquette.

NEW:  DEQ Information Session -- MDEQ staff have been asked to hold an additional educational session for the public, concerning Aquila’s Back Forty Mine Permit Application. This meeting is tentatively schedule to take place at 7 p.m. CST on March 9, 2016, at the Lake Township Hall Co. Rd. 577/G-12, Stephenson, MI 49887. For confirmation, contact Joe Maki: makij3@michigan.gov -- for directions, contact Lake Township at 906-753-4385.

* Concerned citizens are invited to TAKE ACTION by signing a letter from Save the Wild U.P. asking Michigan DEQ to deny Aquila Resources’ Back Forty mine permit application, in light of serious and fundamental misrepresentations. Click here to read and sign the letter.

** See Aquila's Web site for statements about the underground mine.

Michigan communities are passing Line 5 Pipeline Resolutions

Lon Johnson, Democratic candidate for Michigan's First District congressional seat, reports that all across Northern Michigan and the U.P. communities are passing resolutions in relation to the Enbridge Line 5 Oil Pipeline. 

"With the Flint Water crisis still dominating the headlines, there is a growing concern that elected officials in Lansing care more about their own jobs than about the safety of their citizens," said Johnson. "That is why all across Northern Michigan and the U.P., communities are passing these resolutions."

While every resolution has been unique in its language and concerns, these local governments and communities understand the risks posed by Enbridge Line 5 and are seeking solutions ranging from an outright shut down to an independent review of the pipeline’s safety by a panel of experts.

"Flatly put, we can’t blindly trust politicians and corporations with the safety of our Great Lakes," Johnson added. "Trust must now turn to vigilance. Let's all take action. Now."

On Monday, Feb. 1, the City of Traverse City passed a rigorous resolution to stop the transportation of oil under the Great Lakes. This is the 15th municipal resolution passed in Michigan and there are many more in the works. The Traverse City resolution also supports Michigan House Resolution 182 calling for a shut down of Line 5. In addition, the City sent a letter of concern about the risk of a rupture in the Straits to Governor Snyder.*

Thus far, Michigan communities that have passed resolutions include these:
Alcona County, City of Cheboygan, Chippewa County, Cheboygan County, Emmet County, Genesee County, Krakow Township, City of Mackinac Island, Mentor Township, Munising Township, Presque Isle County, Presque Isle Township, City of Traverse City, Tuscarora Township, Wayne County, West Bloomfield Township.

In order to assist local communities, Lon Johnson has created a website with a sample resolution, copies of resolutions passed in other communities, as well as a packet of information about the pipeline.

This website can be found at:  http://www.lonjohnson.com/#!line-5/fcnd8

The Oil and Water Don't Mix coalition now lists 16 communities that have passed resolutions calling for the shutdown of the flow of oil through Line 5. Oil and Water Don't Mix also offers information and assistance with passing a similar resolution in your community. Click here for info.

The state of Michigan on Feb. 8 said it is extending the public comment period on two draft requests for information and proposals (RFIs) that will be issued for prospective contractors who are interested in performing an independent risk analysis and an independent alternatives analysis related to the pipelines in the Straits of Mackinac known as Enbridge Line 5. Comments on the draft documents are now due by Feb. 16, 2016. Click here for info on this update.

* Click here to read the Traverse City resolution and letter to Gov. Snyder.

Inset photo: Lon Johnson, Democratic candidate for Michigan's First District congressional seat. (Photo courtesy Lon Johnson campaign)

Torch Lake Watershed Project Public Meeting to be Feb. 10; DEQ, Michigan Tech researchers present findings on PCBs, more ...

By Michele Bourdieu

This sign was designed and posted by the Torch Lake Township board to advise visitors of the hazards at Hubbell Beach near the old town dump. These wastes can be seen in the shallow water near the swimming area. (Photo courtesy Amy Keranen, Michigan Department of Environmental Quality Remediation and Redevelopment Division)

LAKE LINDEN -- What do you know about the Torch Lake Watershed, the Torch Lake Superfund and stamp sand, the Torch Lake Area of Concern, PCBs and fish advisories, ongoing research and remediation of contaminated sites in the area? The Torch Lake Watershed Project public meeting is one way to learn about these issues and to become involved in a community effort to plan the future of this area.

The Houghton Keweenaw Conservation District (HKCD) will host a Torch Lake Watershed Project Public Meeting from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. on Wednesday, Feb. 10, 2016, in the Lake Linden-Hubbell School Auditorium, 601 Calumet St., Lake Linden. This meeting is free and open to the public and all interested people are invited to attend.

This community meeting continues the informational sessions started in 2015 and will provide the community with background on the environmental issues of Torch Lake and its watershed including PCBs and their historic origins.

This map shows areas tested for PCBs in and around Torch Lake. Green circles indicate sediment locations; purple triangles are soil locations; and blue square indicates groundwater detection. Michigan Tech Professor Carol MacLennan discussed this cluster of PCBs in her Jan. 19, 2016, presentation at Carnegie Museum. See video below. (Photo by Keweenaw Now)

No preregistration is required; however, RSVP is appreciated. To RSVP or to obtain more information, contact Meral Jackson at HKCD at (906) 482-0214, or email  meral.jackson@macd.org.

Guest speakers will be Michigan Tech Professors Noel Urban (Civil and Environmental Engineering) and Carol MacLennan (Social Sciences). They will provide information on what some of the current environmental concerns are at Torch Lake -- where they are and how they got there -- and will discuss the development of a Torch Lake Watershed Management Plan. The second Torch Lake Watershed Project Public meeting in 2016 will be held from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. on Wednesday, March 16, at the same location.

May 2015 Torch Lake Watershed informational meeting: videos, photos

Map of the Torch Lake Watershed, presented at the May 26, 2015, informational meeting. (Photo by Keweenaw Now)

Last May HKCD held a Torch Lake Watershed informational meeting at Michigan Tech's Great Lakes Research Center with presentations by HKCD President Gina Nicholas, Michigan Tech Emeritus Professor of Geological Engineering and Geology Bill Rose and Michigan Tech Professor of Anthropology Carol MacLennan. Here is an excerpt from Gina Nicholas' introduction to the concept of the Torch Lake Watershed at that meeting:

Gina Nicholas, Houghton Keweenaw Conservation District president, presents the concept of the Torch Lake Watershed Project during an informational meeting May 26, 2015, at Michigan Tech's Great Lakes Research Center. Click on YouTube icon for larger screen. (Video by Keweenaw Now)

Nicholas then introduced Bill Rose, who spoke about the geology of the Torch Lake Watershed -- how the lake and rivers that empty into it were formed and more.

During the May 26 Torch Lake Watershed informational meeting, Bill Rose, Michigan Tech emeritus professor of geological engineering and geology, speaks about the geology of the Torch Lake Watershed, including the Keweenaw Fault. (Photo by Keweenaw Now) *

Following Rose's geology presentation at the May 26, 2015, meeting, Carol MacLennan gave a detailed presentation on the history of the industrial mining on Torch Lake and the problems that have resulted from the mining waste.

Key points in Carol MacLennan's presentation on the history of the Torch Lake industrial site and problems of pollution that still remain from mining-related activities. (Photo by Keweenaw Now)

Community members asked questions about several issues, including the problem of building on remediated stamp sand:

Following her presentation on the history of Torch Lake industrial sites at the May 26, 2015, Torch Lake Watershed informational meeting, Michigan Tech Professor Carol MacLennan fields an audience question concerning requirements for building on remediated stamp sand. (Video by Keweenaw Now)

MacLennan also spoke about local legacy mining issues and moderated a group discussion at the Oct. 8, 2015, annual meeting of Friends of the Land of Keweenaw (FOLK).

Carol MacLennan gives an overview of the Torch Lake mining waste issues during the Oct. 8, 2015, annual meeting of Friends of the Land of Keweenaw (FOLK). (Photo by Keweenaw Now)

Linda Rulison, president of FOLK, told Keweenaw Now why the local environmental group is participating in the Torch Lake Watershed project.

"We were interested in getting a watershed project going because we believe the Torch Lake area has been neglected too long and that the watershed development is a good way of addressing the environmental problems by looking beyond the lake -- at what is going on in the watershed that feeds Torch Lake," Rulison said.

Bill Rose leads geoheritage tour of Keweenaw stamp sand sites

On July 30, 2015, Bill Rose led a Keweenaw geoheritage tour, "Copper Mining Waste of Lake Superior Today," that included Torch Lake. Here is how he explained how stamp sand became a man-made delta in Torch Lake:

During his July 30, 2015, geoheritage tour of stamp sand in the Keweenaw, Bill Rose, Michigan Tech emeritus professor of geological studies, explains how stamp sand in Torch Lake forms man-made deltas. The tour group gathers near Torch Lake in Lake Linden, Michigan. Michigan Tech Professors Carol Mac Lennan and Charles Kerfoot accompany the tour and add their expertise. (Video by Keweenaw Now)

Rose, along with Michigan Tech Professor of Biology Charles Kerfoot and Professor of Anthropology Carol MacLennan, took the tour group to see the remains of the last stamp mill that operated in the Keweenaw near what is now Tamarack City. Here they discuss the closing of the nearby Hubbell Beach and other areas where PCBs have been found through the Michigan Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) ongoing Abandoned Mining Wastes project, directed by Amy Keranen, DEQ Remediation and Redevelopment Division senior environmental quality analyst:

Bill Rose, Michigan Tech emeritus professor of geological engineering and sciences, leads his July 30, 2015, geoheritage tour to a historic stamp mill site near Tamarack City on Torch Lake. He is joined by Michigan Tech professors Charles Kerfoot (biology) and Carol MacLennan (anthropology), who talk about PCB pollution in the area. (Video by Keweenaw Now)

The tour group then walked out on a windy peninsula of the Superfund site of remediated stamp sands and discussed the EPA's efforts to cover the stamp sand. Later they rode on Michigan Tech's Research Vessel Agassiz to explore areas of Torch Lake and to view the Gay stamp sands from Lake Superior.

During his July 30, 2015, geology tour, "Copper Mining Waste of Lake Superior Today," Bill Rose, Michigan Tech professor emeritus of geological engineering and sciences, joined by Professors Kerfoot and MacLennan, speaks about the stamp sand in Torch Lake and the EPA Superfund project to remediate it. (Video by Keweenaw Now)

Carol MacLennan speaks on "Mine Polluted Waters" at Carnegie Museum

More recently Carol MacLennan presented "Mine Polluted Waters: What are our Options?" on Jan. 19, 2016, as part of the Carnegie Museum's Keweenaw Natural History Lecture Series. She gave an updated historical presentation on Torch Lake areas of contamination and the present efforts of the Michigan Department of Environmental Quality to locate and remediate some of these sites. She also described community action by a New Mexico group of citizens that has made progress in remediating mine pollution.

Here are some video excerpts from her presentation:

During her Jan. 19, 2016, presentation "Mine Polluted Waters: What are our Options?" at the Carnegie Museum, Carol MacLennan, Michigan Tech University professor of anthropology, points out areas of PCB contamination left from copper mining activities near Torch Lake. (Videos by Keweenaw Now)

Carol MacLennan talks about clusters of PCBs detected near Torch Lake and ongoing Michigan DEQ studies into the sources of PCB contamination in the area. 

Here MacLennan speaks about the 800 barrels left in Torch Lake from mining activities. Joining the discussion is Charles Kerfoot, Michigan Tech professor of biology, who has studied mining waste contamination in Torch Lake.

Citing an example of a community in New Mexico that has actively participated in solving problems of mining waste, MacLennan notes the importance of community organization and long-term involvement.

During the question period following her presentation, MacLennan discusses concerns about health issues related to Torch Lake pollution from mining wastes.

"Notes from the desk of Amy Keranen"

In her talks, MacLennan mentioned the work of Amy Keranen, senior environmental quality analyst for the Michigan DEQ Remediation and Redevelopment Division, in locating areas of PCBs along the Torch Lake shoreline through soil and sediment analysis.

Last year Keranen told Keweenaw Now that MacLennan's historical research has been helpful for her DEQ Abandoned Mining Wastes (AMW) project.

"We used Carol's research to confirm where our samples should be -- targeting areas of waste streams and disposal areas," Keranen said.

On Feb.1, 2016, Keranen published a newsletter, "Notes from the desk of Amy Keranen,"  reporting on her AMW project team's progress in the past year.

Keranen begins with comments on the DEQ Open House she held at the Lake Linden School in May 2015.

During her May 13, 2015, Open House in Lake Linden, Amy Keranen, right, chats with Lake Linden (and Washington, DC) resident James Gekas, who grew up in Lake Linden. Gekas asked about the safety of local beaches for his grandchildren. Also pictured is Kathy Shirey, DEQ Remediation and Redevelopment Division Field Operations Section chief for western Michigan. (Open House photos by Keweenaw Now)

"We were able to show the tools we use to conduct our investigations and share the findings of our 2014 on-land and in-lake work," Keranen writes. "We received a lot of feedback from attendees who said they appreciated the opportunity to talk one-on-one with project team members to get their questions answered and receive information directly. Others preferred to just listen in or to look around and take in the information for themselves."

Clifton Clark, DEQ Remediation and Redevelopment Field Operations supervisor for the U.P. District, is pictured here with an underwater camera he purchased for the state. "I'm really impressed with the quality of the team that's been put together (for this project) -- Amy, Weston and our own Geological Services Unit in Lansing," Clark said.

Jeremy Brown of the DEQ Geological Services Unit in Lansing is pictured here near the Lake Linden School during the Open House with the geoprobe he operated for collecting soil samples last spring.

Sharon Baker, right, of DEQ Office of the Great Lakes, who has been working on Torch Lake Area of Concern issues, chats with Linda Rulison, president of FOLK, and a visitor during the Open House.

Keranen estimates between 60 and 100 visitors attended the Open House last May.

"That is a large turnout for an event like this, considering public meetings regarding Torch Lake in the recent past have drawn only 10-15 attendees," Keranen notes. "Given this response and interest, we plan to hold another open house in the spring of 2016."

Keranen's current project goes beyond the Superfund project of covering the stamp sands.

"The continued presence of PCBs in Torch Lake is preventing the recovery of the Torch Lake ecosystem and keeps it from being delisted as an Area of Concern under the Great Lakes Water Quality Agreement," Keranen explains. "In addition, other potential environmental and human health risks are present which require further evaluation and possible clean-up."

Horst Schmidt, right, of FOLK, and visitor Jim Conroy of Omaha, who is working with the Keweenaw National Historical Park, study one of the maps of Torch Lake on display at the Open House.

Last summer Keranen's team sampled the former Calumet Stampmill properties, most of which are located on the Houghton County Historical Society's museum property.

"Our investigations found that asbestos is widespread on the foundation of the former stampmill, which is located inside of the railroad tracks used by the historic society to give train rides throughout the summer and fall," Keranen reports. "Due to the extent of the asbestos and the costs associated with clean up, we have requested that the EPA Emergency Response Branch manage this asbestos project. The museum operators have indicated that access to this area of the property will be prohibited until the asbestos is cleaned up."

This map shows the Calumet and Hecla Lake Linden project area. The key issues here are with asbestos at the former Calumet Stampmill; PCBs, asbestos and metals in the former Hubbell Smelter area; a small area of asbestos in a dump in Tamarack City; and, PCBs in sediments in the lake at Lake Linden and Hubbell. (Map courtesy Michigan DEQ Remediation and Redevelopment Division and Weston Solutions. Reprinted with permission.)

According to the newsletter, in the Lake Linden Recreation Area, the team's 2014 sediment PCB detections were found in water 14’ - 24’ deep, not within the swimming or wading area. In response to July 2015 concerns from Lake Linden Village residents about swimming at their beach, Keranen reports the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services (MDHHS) review of new data did not identify any new concerns.

"Based on the location and depth of PCBs in the Lake Linden Recreation Area, the risk posed by PCBs is to aquatic organisms - not to a typical beach user," she explains.

The project focus in 2015 was in the Calumet and Hecla Tamarack City Operations Area, where PCBs are less of a problem than in the Lake Linden area, Keranen notes, though the team continues to find asbestos.

Tamarack City Trail asbestos: This photo shows an area where asbestos from an old steam pipe was left behind after the pipe was removed and the mines shut down. As part of addressing the asbestos, the DEQ capped the former railroad grade and brought in soil and grass seed. (Photo courtesy Amy Keranen, Michigan DEQ Remediation and Redevelopment Division)

The newsletter reports key findings related to PCBs within and adjacent to Torch Lake include the following:

•  In the Hubbell Processing Area, PCB contamination is present in debris, charred waste materials, waste piles, soil, surface water and groundwater.
• These materials are subject to migration into Torch Lake via erosion channels on the ground surface that lead to holes in the former coal dock bulkhead.
•  Off-shore sediment sampling confirmed that PCBs are present in Torch Lake sediment in front of the former Hubbell smelter and coal dock as well as off-shore of the former leach plant in Lake Linden.

Keranen's team plans the following investigation and clean up work for 2016:

• Developing engineering estimates and designs for the Hubbell Processing Area (the former Coal Dock and Mineral Building properties), pertaining to PCB-containing materials, asbestos and drums. Until conditions at the site can be improved, the public should avoid accessing this private property without taking appropriate precautions.

• Conducting geophysical investigations of suspected buried waste in the Tamarack City area (to determine the extent of waste buried in the stampsands).

• Developing plans to address an old dump area containing asbestos in the Calumet and Hecla Tamarack City area.

• Conducting additional underwater camera work in the Hubbell area; and,

• Conducting in-lake side-scan sonar investigations in the "Quincy-Mason" area of the AMW project, in advance of the on-land investigation anticipated in 2017.

• The EPA Emergency Response Branch is working on asbestos issues at the former Calumet Stampmill.**

 Notes:
 
*  Click here for our video clip from Bill Rose's presentation on the Keweenaw Fault.

** The above information is reprinted with permission from Amy Keranen's Fall-Winter, 2015-2016, Newsletter.

State extends public comment period on draft documents related to analyses of Mackinac Straits pipelines

LANSING -- The state of Michigan today, Feb. 8, said it is extending the public comment period on two draft requests for information and proposals (RFIs) that will be issued for prospective contractors who are interested in performing an independent risk analysis and an independent alternatives analysis related to the pipelines in the Straits of Mackinac known as Enbridge Line 5. Comments on the draft documents are now due by Feb. 16, 2016.

The Pipeline Safety Advisory Board has reviewed previous drafts of these proposals and provided input. Additionally, the proposals have been available via the Pipeline Safety Advisory Board website for several weeks.*

The analyses were recommended by the Michigan Petroleum Pipeline Task Force in July 2015.** Implementing the recommendations of the task force continues as the Michigan Pipeline Safety Advisory Board works toward ensuring the safety, upkeep and transparency of issues related to Michigan’s network of pipelines.***

* Click here for links to the draft RFIs. Instructions for submitting comments are also located there (though the deadline so far has not been updated on that page). Comments can also be submitted from the Oil and Water Don't Mix Web page.

** Click here for the Pipeline Task Force report and related documents.

*** Click here for info on the Michigan Pipeline Safety Advisory Board.

Editor's Note: This is an update to our Feb. 5, 2016, article from the Oil and Water Don't Mix coalition: "Oil and Water Don't Mix: More time needed to examine proposals on future of Enbridge Line 5 in Mackinac Straits."

Honoring a Proud Tradition: Black History Month at Michigan Tech

Poet J Mase III from Seattle will be at Michigan Tech Thursday and Friday, Feb. 11-12, to lead workshops on solidarity and poetry. He will give a spoken word/poetry performance at 7 p.m. Friday, Feb. 12, in the Memorial Union Ballroom. (Poster courtesy Michigan Tech University)

By Mary LeDoux, Michigan Tech News student writing intern
Posted Feb. 8 on Michigan Tech News
Reprinted with permission

HOUGHTON -- We have all heard of Martin Luther King Jr., Rosa Parks and Malcolm X, to name just a few famous African Americans. It is the contributions of such well-known and many lesser-known African Americans that we honor during Black History Month.

In 1926, Carter G. Woodson, known as the "Father of Black History Month," originally established Negro History Week to raise awareness of the contributions African Americans have made, and continue to make, to the development of our nation. As a son of slaves, Woodson knew first-hand the value of education. He earned his PhD from Harvard University in 1912, the second African American to have done so. A half century later, in 1976, the month of February was designated as Black History Month.

Michigan Technological University also honors the African American community during Black History Month. Throughout the month of February, the Center for Diversity and Inclusion (CDI) has collaborated with students of color in creating a social media photo campaign at www.facebook.com/CDI atTech. Showcased in the exhibit are organizations and students of color throughout Michigan Tech’s history. Anyone wanting to get involved in this project should stop by the center.

The following activities will take place on campus in honor of Black History Month:

Thursday, Feb. 11 -- Self-described black/trans/queer poet J Mase III from Seattle will lead a solidarity workshop from 2:30 p.m. to 5:30 p.m. in Wadsworth Hall Café Annex (G11w).

Friday, Feb. 12 -- Poet J Mase III will conduct a poetry workshop from 2:30 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. in the Memorial Union Building Alumni Lounge.  At 7 p.m. that night, he will give a spoken word/poetry performance in the Memorial Union Ballroom.

Wednesday, Feb. 24 -- The Spike Lee film Malcolm X will be shown at 6 p.m. in Fisher Hall 135.

All activities and displays are free and open to the public.

CDI program coordinator Zachary Rubinstein said the purpose of the Black History Month programs is "to bring awareness of the contributions of African American organizations and students to Michigan Tech’s history and the important role they will play in its future. They represent our past, present and future." He hopes that the surrounding community as well as the campus will participate in the events.

An African American Student's View:

To fifth-year English major D’mitri Williams, Black History Month "means that my accomplishments, no matter how small, are worth being recognized. This recognition inspires me to be bigger than myself."

Is enough being done to honor black history? Williams noted any recognition of the accomplishments made by people of color is a good start.

"Yet it is not enough. There is so much, and so many not being recognized," he added. "Becoming the best me I can be allows me to give the best back to the community. The more we allow people to exist with stereotypes, the more they are limited. By being a good role model, we can make this better."

Williams suggested that Michigan Tech might consider weekend extracurricular activities throughout the month that would provide an opportunity to learn about black culture and accomplishments.

Oil and Water Don't Mix: More time needed to examine proposals on future of Enbridge Line 5 in Mackinac Straits

[Editor's Update: The deadline for comments on the documents mentioned below has been extended to Feb. 16, 2016. Click here for info.]

A coalition of community groups, organizations and businesses concerned with the threat of Enbridge Energy Partner’s Line 5 through the Straits of Mackinac has criticized the Michigan Department of Environmental Quality and the Attorney General’s office for giving the public less than a week to examine crucial documents that will be used to decide the future of the controversial oil pipeline. The Oil and Water Don’t Mix coalition is asking the state to extend the time for public comment from 5 days ending today, Feb. 5, to 30 days.

The Oil and Water Don’t Mix coalition has made it possible for the public to comment by using a form on their Web site.*

At issue are more than 20 pages of documents called "Independent Risk Analysis" and "Independent Alternatives Analysis" for the Straits pipelines, which Michigan Attorney General Bill Schuette and the MDEQ announced Monday, Feb. 1, along with a deadline of today, Friday, for public comment. The documents will be used in the hiring of consultants to undertake the studies and examine alternatives to Line 5 in the Straits.

Guy Meadows, director of Michigan Tech University's Great Lakes Research Center and adjunct professor in geological and mining engineering and sciences, who is a Michigan Pipeline Safety Advisory Board member, told Keweenaw Now the advisory board began considering these documents last October.

"The advisory board began considering the Independent Risk and Alternatives studies last October with members providing valuable and thoughtful input to the process," Meadows said today. "Similar input from the public is also sought and encouraged."**

However, several citizen groups have objected to the short notice given to the public -- with only five days to comment. 

"You can’t claim to want the public engaged or that you are being transparent and then turn around and give folks just five days to respond to proposals critical to the future of the Great Lakes," said David Holtz, Chair of the Michigan Sierra Club Executive Committee. "These documents will determine what is on the table and what isn’t when it comes to decisions about the future of Line 5. Enbridge and other insiders have had these documents for many weeks. We think the public should have the same opportunity as the oil industry to weigh in on them."

Sierra Club is one of 24 organizations that have endorsed the Oil and Water Don’t Mix coalition’s goal of ending the flow of oil through the Straits and keeping oil out of the Great Lakes.The coalition also has the support of more than 200 businesses and 15 local governments.

"What happens with these documents will affect the lakes for generations to come, and Michiganders deserve a fair chance to have their say," said Lynna Kaucheck, Senior Midwest Organizer for Food and Water Watch. "The health of our Great Lakes hinges on decisions about Line 5."

The citizens groups say the state’s draft documents fall short in key areas, including the following:

• Too little attention is paid to public health. Short- and long-term human health impacts from exposure to airborne chemicals released during oil spill recovery must be examined as well as the affects of an oil spill on drinking water sources.

• The proposed analysis of the economic impacts of an oil spill fall short of being comprehensive. Any economic impact assessment must include impacts on Great Lakes waters, aquatic and wildlife resources, drinking water supplies on the U.S. and Canadian sides, tourism, shipping, sports and commercial and recreational fishing, and tribal fishing rights. An economic impact analysis that fails to even consider the Great Lakes as a public trust resource is not credible.

• There must be a detailed section based on a credible worst-case scenario of a Line 5 pipeline rupture that examines methodologies used by other high-hazard industries and includes assessing the cumulative impacts of small, undetected leaks.

The Oil and Water Don’t Mix coalition has called on the state to immediately halt the flow of oil through the Straits while a state Pipeline Safety Advisory Board examines alternatives, which is expected to take months if not years to complete.

Liz Kirkwood, executive director of FLOW (For Love of Water), said the need to eliminate the Line 5 risk to the Great Lakes is urgent.

"It seems the state is trying to rush these documents through because they rightly recognize the urgency of dealing with the Line 5 threat," Kirkwood said. "That’s why we think it’s prudent to stop the flow of oil through the Straits now and undertake a thorough, comprehensive review of permanent alternatives. Short-changing that by cutting out the public’s role isn’t likely to lead to a good outcome for the people of Michigan."

Kate Madigan of the Michigan Environmental Council (MEC) adds MEC favors the alternative of decommissioning Line 5.

"Michigan’s future is reliant on the health of the Great Lakes, and the state’s primary responsibility here is to protect the Great Lakes, our public health, drinking water supplies and economy from a catastrophic oil spill."

* Click here to comment immediately to Michigan Attorney General Bill Schuette and the MDEQ using the form from Oil and Water Don't Mix.

** Click here to learn about the Michigan Pipeline Safety Advisory Board.

Editor's Note: Unfortunately we only learned of this 5-day comment period today, Feb. 5. It was announced by Attorney General Bill Schuette's office on Feb. 1.

Inset Photo: Oil and Water Don't Mix sign held at Sept. 6, 2015, protest near Mackinac Bridge against Enbridge's Line 5 under the Straits. (Keweenaw Now file photo)

Winter Carnival 2016 snow statue winners announced

Visitors admire Phi Kappa Tau's winning snow statue titled "Welcoming Immigration to This Great Nation" -- with scenes of New York City, including the Statue of Liberty, the Empire State Building and the Brooklyn Bridge as viewed by immigrants arriving in the harbor. The Hancock fraternity regained their first-place victory -- the eighth in the last nine years. (Photos by Keweenaw Now unless otherwise indicated.)

HOUGHTON -- For the eighth time in the last nine years, Phi Kappa Tau captured the top prize in the month-long statue division for Michigan Tech's 2016 Winter Carnival. The winning entry, constructed outside their house in Hancock, is "Welcoming Immigration to This Great Nation."

As depicted by Phi Kappa Tau's winning creation, New York's Statue of Liberty welcomes immigrants arriving in the harbor. The Empire State Building towers over the New York skyline in the background, and Brooklyn Bridge is at right.

Second place went to last year's winner, Tau Kappa Epsilon, for "Freedom's Price in Show and Ice."

Students put finishing touches on Tau Kappa Epsilon's snow statue titled "Freedom's Price in Show and Ice," which won second place in the month-long statue division. (Photo courtesy Michigan Tech University)

Third place was Delta Sigma Phi, "Wyoming's Beauty Shown in a Snow Blown Yellowstone."

Sigma Phi Epsilon captured fourth  place with "Dreams of California-cation" and the Army ROTC took fifth place with "Where Gold Bars are Made."

All-Nighter winners

In the All-Nighter competition, St. Albert the Great University Parish took first place with "Covered By Ice and Snow to MARYland We Will Go."

St. Albert the Great University Parish won first place in the All Nighter competition. (Photo courtesy Michigan Tech University)

Lutheran Campus Ministry captured second with "One Nation, One People." In third place is Hyrule with "A Tech Student's Plan of Attack Would Have Prevented the Crack."  Fourth place was captured by First Year Experience-Wads "Remembering Those Who Pulled Their Weight, While Defending Our Great 50 States." And in fifth place was Concordia Student Ministries with "But For Those Who Hope in the Lord Will Renew Their Strength, They Will Soar on Wings Like Eagles."

The snow statue winners, along with the overall Winter Carnival winners will be honored at the awards ceremony at 9 p.m. Saturday in the Memorial Union Ballroom.

More photos of Phi Kappa Tau first-place winner:

The Brooklyn Bridge, with its "decorative slushed rope," is described as "an engineering marvel built by the hands of New York immigrants."

A book records the number of immigrants from each of several countries arriving after a two-week voyage across the Atlantic.

Another view of the Statue of Liberty, with Ellis Island to the left.

Visit the Winter Carnival Web site for more winners and photos.