Resident responds to writer about mine claims
September 24, 2019
Eagle Herald
Dear Editor,
This letter will correct Dale Anderson’s false claims (published in a Letter to the Editor Sept. 20). He and Aquila both got false claims printed recently. No, they do not have all the permits. No, they will not be mining next year. It’s more likely than ever now that they’ll never mine this site, with their dangerous design plan.
He suggests to “plan ahead” and “be prepared.” Aquila has not planned ahead for the catastrophic disaster they will cause if allowed to mine here. They are not prepared to pay for their acid mine drainage clean up either. They say they don’t need to because they have “21st-century mining.”
The International Council on Mining and Metals CEO posted his sadness for the preventable loss of life that resulted from the recent tailings dam collapse in Brazil. He wrote “we support our industry in seeking to avoid such an event from happening again.” Aquila applied to use this same cheapest but worst kind of up-stream tailings dam. Even their own industry’s council no longer approves of that type.
Brazil has now banned them. Yet, they proposed putting the very worst, most often catastrophically failing, forever toxic tailings dam 50 yards from the Menominee River.
“Day by day the mine gets closer to…” bankruptcy, not closer to opening. This mine has produced nothing in over 15 years of trying. Investors lose trust and patience, and the ongoing lawsuits cost money. Appeals to court decisions could ratchet up costs for another decade.
No one in the Coalition to Save the Menominee River believes this mine will ever operate here. He has not written facts.
The people here with a vision for our future, including hundreds of potentially affected voters surveyed, envision a clean Menominee County, River, Shakey Lakes, land, air, groundwater, cultural/heritage sites and a healthy population. That is our choice.
Natalie Lashmet
Menominee