We Need to Reconsider What "Progress" Is
Bruce Veneberg’s recent letter to the Mining Journal is the most rational posting made by a pro-Kennecott mine supporter, to date. Bruce is correct that the area around the Yellow Dog Plains has been logged for years.
However, at issue is that all of the proposed mines in the UP, including uranium projects in the Ottawa National Forest, are dependent upon the use of indigenous reservation land or public land as well as land considered culturally-significant to area tribes.
The other big issue is water quality. Water quality of the Salmon Trout and Yellow Dog rivers is, now, regularly tested and is exceptional. The underlying aquifers are also nationally recognized as among the most easily contaminated aquifers in the United States. Kennecott plans to inject 184 million gallons of treated mine wastewater into those aquifers, every year.
Recycling our current metal supply would reduce the perceived need to open new mines in water-rich areas. According to the US EPA, the agency approving Kennecott’s aquifer injection permit, Americans individually consume double what we did in 1960, using 22% of the world’s resources, despite comprising only 4% of the world’s population. Nearly 8% of material located in landfills are metals. At least 19 million tons of metals are thrown in landfills, every year (the equivalent of the metal from at least 35 Eagle Projects, every year). We should reuse our current metal supply and mine our landfills
We need to reconsider what “progress” is.
I noticed the recent Mining Journal “Progress” edition failed to include an article on the Downtown Marquette Farmer’s Market. The Market, which showcases many local growers and vendors, moved to a new location and dramatically increased its customer base last year. Instead of focusing on mining and new fast food restaurants, the Mining Journal could have also considered this different kind of progress that promotes the local economy, the environment, and public health.
People travel from around the world just to visit the Upper Peninsula. The uniqueness of this region must be recognized, locally. We need new ideas and new local leadership that plans for the future, instead of relying on short-term fixes. Tax revenue from fast food joints, chain stores and sulfide mining operations isn’t going to carry us through the generations. There needs to be a focus on building a sustainable economy using strategies that have worked elsewhere.