Wisconsin Resources Protection Council

May 10, 2018

Dear WRPC Member and Friends of the Menominee River,

On May 3, 2018, in a major reversal of their previous recommendation to reject Aquila’s wetland permit (letter of March 8, 2018) for the Back Forty project, the EPA informed Michigan’s Department of Environmental Quality (MDEQ) that “we believe that there is a ready pathway for the resolution of EPA’s remaining objections through MDEQ’S inclusion of specific conditions in a final permit issued by June 6, 2018.”

January 5, 2018

Dear WRPC Member and Friends of the Menominee River,

Industrial Acid Mining Bill Passed

On December 11, 2017, Gov. Scott Walker did the bidding of Aquila Resources, Wisconsin Manufacturers and Commerce and the mining industry and signed into law Sen. “Toxic Tom” Tiffany’s Industrial Acid Mining Bill. The bill repeals Wisconsin’s 20 year old landmark Prove it First sulfide mining moratorium law that has protected Wisconsin’s precious waters from what the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has called “the most toxic industry in America.”

September 1, 2017

Dear WRPC Member and Friends of the Menominee River,

Industrial Acid Mining Bill Proposed

Senators Tom Tiffany (R-Hazelhurst) and State Rep. Bob Hutton (R-Brookfield) have introduced the Mining for America Act, Senate Bill 395, also known as “Tiffany’s Industrial Acid Mining Bill.” The legislation would repeal Wisconsin’s Prove it First Sulfide Mining Moratorium Law and ease mining regulations to facilitate Aquila Resources’ metallic sulfide prospects in Marathon (the Reef project) and Taylor (the Bend project) counties. Not surprisingly, Aquila consulted with Sen. Tiffany over the language of the bill (http://www.jsonline.com/story/news/2017/08/17/bill-end-moratorium-mining-introduced/578570001/) and http://www.jsonline.com/story/news/2017/08/22/bill-would-end-wisconsin-moratorium-sulfide-mining-create-easier-path-ease-restrictions-future-minin/587792001/

July 13, 2017

Dear WRPC Member and Friends of the Menominee River,

On June 21, 2017 the Brown County Board of Supervisors voted 21-0 to oppose Aquila’s Back Forty metallic sulfide mine project. Brown County, the third largest county in Wisconsin, agreed with mine opponents that the risks of mine pollution in the Menominee River, which empties into Green Bay and eventually into Lake Michigan, outweigh any possible benefits from the proposed mine. Brown County joins Marinette and Menominee County, WI in urging the Michigan Department of Environmental Quality to deny a mining permit for the project. Door County will consider a resolution against the project at their next meeting.

March 23, 2017

Dear WRPC Member and Friends of the Menominee River,

On December 28, 2016, the Michigan Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) approved two of the four required permits for the Back Forty proposed sulfide mine – the Nonferrous Metallic Mineral Mining Permit and the Michigan Air Use Permit. The DEQ is still reviewing the National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) permit and the wetlands permit.

December 21, 2016

Dear WRPC Member and Friends of the Menominee River,

The much-anticipated final mining permit decision on Aquila’s Back Forty mine proposal that was supposed to be announced by December 1, 2016 came and went. Instead, the Michigan Dept. of Environmental Quality (DEQ) asked Aquila for a delay until December 29 “to coordinate the final decisions” on the mine, air and water permits. The DEQ had already announced that it was going to approve the mine permit over the Labor Day weekend. Why the sudden delay?

September 8, 2016

Dear WRPC Member and Friends of the Menominee River,

In a surprise news release at the beginning of the Labor Day weekend on September 2, 2016, the Michigan Department of Environmental Quality (MDEQ) announced it was going to approve the mine permit for Aquila Resources’ metallic sulfide mine (the “Back Forty Project”) next to the Menominee River in Lake Township, Michigan. Newspaper headlines have described the announcement as a “draft mining permit” rather than a final decision on an actual mine permit. Nevertheless, Aquila’s stock value increased 27% on the Toronto Stock Exchange after news of the draft mining and pollution permits was announced.

July 13, 2016

Dear WRPC Member and Friends of the Menominee River,

Over 2,000 members of the public wrote to the Michigan Department of Environmental Quality (MDEQ) to express serious concerns about Aquila’s proposed Back Forty metallic sulfide mining proposal next to the Menominee River. Thanks to a Freedom of Information Act request from a concerned citizen we now know what MDEQ was reluctant to disclose: an astounding 98.2% of all signatures and comments opposed the project!  Save the Wild U.P. has summarized the comments and provided excerpts on their website: http://bit.ly/98PercentOpposed

April 8, 2016

Dear WRPC Member,

I just got off the phone with Joe Maki, head of the mining division of Michigan’s Department of Environmental Quality (MDEQ). I asked him how many public comments his office received on Aquila’s Back 40 mine permit application. He said he didn’t know. His office logged the comments on a database but there was no tally. I said if the comments were on a database, it should be easy enough to come up with a total number. “No.” He said if I wanted to submit a Freedom of Information Act request, I could pay for copies of the documents and do my own tally. 

January 14, 2016

Dear WRPC Member,

In case you missed the big news over the holidays, Aquila Resources is once again seeking permits from Michigan’s Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) for its Back Forty open pit metallic sulfide mine next to the Menominee River. The project had been suspended in July 2012 when Hudbay Minerals of Canada (51% owner of the Back Forty project) pulled out of the partnership with Aquila (49% owner of the project).