LANSING, Mich. (WZMQ) — Environmental advocates are urging Michigan lawmakers to halt a $50 million state grant proposed for Wakefield Township, arguing the funds are a government handout for a controversial mining project near Lake Superior.
The funding was most recently introduced in the state House as economic support for rural infrastructure and tourism development. Opponents, including the Marquette-based Citizens for a Safe and Clean Lake Superior, have said it would directly benefit the Copperwood Mine, a sulfide mining project that has drawn criticism for its proximity to Lake Superior and potential environmental impact.
“This is a mine that ultimately will have negative consequences for Lake Superior and for our communities in the long term,” said Jane Fitkin, director of Citizens for a Safe and Clean Lake Superior.
The Copperwood Mine, owned by Highland Copper, is located in Michigan’s western Upper Peninsula, near the Porcupine Mountains Wilderness State Park. The proposed mine would produce 30 million tons of waste over its 10.7-year lifespan, storing toxic tailings in a 323-acre facility just two miles from Lake Superior.
“98.5% of what comes out of the ground will be waste. They want to store that 2 miles from Lake Superior and a massive tailings pond. The tailing stand for Copperwood is designed to withstand 100-year storm events. However, there have been not one but two 1000-year storm events in Gogebic County in the last 10 years.” Fitkin said. “These are storms that tear out roads and bridges and certainly would tear out an earthen dam holding back 30 million tons of mine waste.”
More than 80 Michigan-based organizations and over 450,000 petitioners have signed letters and petitions opposing the project. In addition to environmental concerns, critics question the economic promises being made by supporters.
“The mine will only operate for about 10 years. That’s not even long enough to put your kid through K-12 education,” Fitkin said. “It’s the length of a dog’s life—but definitely not a career.”
Wakefield Township Supervisor Mandy Lake has lobbied for the grant, calling it essential to stabilizing the region’s economy, which has suffered from industrial decline and outmigration. But critics note Lake and her husband own a local excavating company that could financially benefit from the mine’s construction—raising potential conflict of interest concerns.
Last year, a similar $50 million grant was removed from the Senate budget. This year’s version is still under consideration in the House, as lawmakers race to finalize the state budget.
“Whether the money goes through Highland Copper or Wakefield Township, we still consider this a corporate handout that would help a foreign mining company profit, while putting Michigan’s greatest freshwater resource at risk,” Fitkin said.
