Great Lakes Aquatic Habitat News

The Newsletter of the Great Lakes
Aquatic Habitat Network and Fund

The Great Lakes Aquatic Habitat News is the newsletter of the Great Lakes Aquatic Habitat Network and Fund, published five times per year. The News is intended to provide a forum for the free exchange of ideas among citizens and organizations working to protect aquatic habitats in the Great Lakes Basin.

Volume 14, Number 5 • Winter 2006

Action Alert: Make Your Voice Heard on the Kennecott Mining Proposal in the Upper Peninsula

By Save the Wild U.P.

It’s time to speak out!
"The Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) is extending the deadline for its proposed decision on the application for a Mining Permit for the proposed Eagle Project mine until January 9, 2007. The extension allows time for public comment on Kennecott's response to DEQ’s list of 91 technical deficiencies in the permit application."

Explanation of the DEQ decision:

  1. The DEQ is giving the opportunity for the public to comment on Kennecott’s responses to the 91 deficiencies.
  2. This public comment period lasts from now to December 26, 2006.
  3. The DEQ will make their proposed decision on January 9, 2007.
  4. On Janurary 9, 2006 they will also give the date for the Public Hearing(s) on the mining application - probably sometime in mid-February.
  5. The DEQ will consolidate the public hearings required for the other applications (Groundwater Discharge, Air Quality) into the same hearing time frame - sounds like a multiple day hearing.

What would we like you to do?

1. Write to the DEQ before Dec 26. More details including suggested comments are available on our website, www.savethewildup.org. You should send your comments to: Steven Wilson, Office of Geological Survey P.O. Box 30256, Lansing, MI 48909-7756 • E-mail wilsons@michigan.gov

2. Attend the public meetings; these are yet to be scheduled. The three major permit applications for this project (air groundwater and mining), are most likely going to be combined. Save the Wild U.P. will make every effort to publicize the dates and times of these meetings when the DEQ releases that information. Please check-in to the Save the Wild U.P. website often:www.savethewildup.org

Thank you for interest in this issue, if you would like more information: Please visit our website at:www.savethewildup.org or e-mail us at info@savthewildup.org.

Disclaimer: The interpretations and conclusions presented in this newsletter represent the opinions of the individual authors. They in no way represent the views of the Tip of the Mitt Watershed Council, the C.S. Mott Foundation, subscribers, donors, or any organization mentioned in this publication.

The Great Lakes Aquatic Habitat Network and Fund builds effective community-based citizen action to protect and restore the water quality of the Great Lakes basin. We work toward this goal by providing financial assistance, communications and networking assistance and technical assistance to citizens and grassroots watershed groups throughout the Great Lakes basin. Through these efforts we work with over 1,800 grassroots watershed groups and citizens to protect and restore the rivers, lakes and wetlands in their communities. The Great Lakes Aquatic Habitat Network and Fund, Inc. is a non-profit, tax-exempt organization.

For more information, please contact:

info@glhabitat.org
P.O. Box 2479, Petoskey, MI 49770
PH (231) 347-1181;
FX (231) 347-5928