Wisconsin Resources Protection Council

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).

December 16, 201

Dear WRPC Member,

The final environmental impact statement (FEIS) for PolyMet’s proposed copper-nickel sulfide mine in northeastern Minnesota was released on November 6. The FEIS can be found at the Minnesota DNR site: http://www.dnr.state.mn.us/input/environmentalreview/polymet/feis-toc.html The 30 day public review period for the 3,500 page document was originally set for December 14. No public meetings have been scheduled during the comment period. Due to public pressure, the comment period has been extended by seven days, ending on December 21, 2015 at 4:30 pm CST.

September 11, 2015

Dear WRPC Member,

WRPC’s fundraiser was a partial success. Thanks to many generous contributors, we raised $16,000 toward our $20,000 debt from our Clean Water Act lawsuit against Rio Tinto. We still owe $4000 so if you missed our summer fundraiser, your contribution, in whatever amount, can still make a difference.

June 11, 2015

Dear WRPC Member,

First, I want to thank you for your past support of the Wisconsin Resources Protection Council’s work to ensure that mining operations do not result in unacceptable damage to our state’s environment and economy.

As you may know, something happened last year that could put a chilling effect on the ability of citizens to stand up for their water.

The Wisconsin Resources Protection Council was a plaintiff in a Clean Water Act lawsuit against Rio Tinto, one of the largest multinational mining corporations in the world.

March 11, 2015

Dear WRPC Member,

Gogebic Taconite’s (GTac’s) proposed mountaintop removal iron mine in the Penokee Hills is dead. On February 28, GTac president Bill Williams announced it was closing its office in Hurley because the project was not feasible, citing the extensive wetlands at the mine site and the uncertainty about whether the mine would be permitted.

November 19, 2014

Dear WRPC Member,

The New York Times editorial (08/31/2014) said it all: “How to Buy a Mine in Wisconsin.”  The editorial referred to the passage of the controversial iron mining bill (ACT  1) and Gogebic Taconite’s (GTac) secret $700,000 contribution to the Wisconsin Club for Growth, an organization directed by the governor’s campaign adviser. “The mine legislation was bad enough from an environmental point of view,” noted the NYT. “It allows the operator to fill streams with mine waste, eliminates public hearings and reduces the taxes the operator would have to pay.” With the recent disclosure of GTac’s secret donation, says the NYT “It turns out to be even more shocking from an ethical viewpoint.”