Michigan’s ‘Most Beautiful’ State Park Is In Catastrophic Danger

The Porcupine Mountains Wilderness State Park, located in the Upper Peninsula and named "the most beautiful state park in the nation", is a testament to Michigan's natural beauty. Recreational activities like camping, hiking, and hunting are some of our state's top activities and people travel from far and wide to experience the park.

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So it is mind-boggling that the Michigan Senate is considering allowing a Canadian company with no experience to mine next to and underneath Lake Superior and the State Park, potentially exposing it to 30 million tons of toxic waste.

⬇️12 OLD-GROWTH FORESTS AROUND MICHIGAN⬇️

Highland Copper's Project

For the past 10 years, a mining company from Canada named Highland Copper has been attempting to get the Copperwood Project approved but has failed to get the necessary funding. The mine would have an estimated 10.7-year mine life that, while being deemed a copper mining project, would actually be mining copper sulfide (chalcocite).

However, the State of Michigan is now considering a whopping $50 million grant to fund this project despite its very limited lifespan and potential environmental hazards. The TikTok above does an excellent job explaining the project.

A Catastrophe In The Making

The chalcoite has a grade of only 1.45%, meaning that for "every ton of extracted material, only 30 pounds will be copper and 1970 pounds of toxic waste". This waste, which stays around forever, would be stored in a Tailings Disposal Facility (TDF) about two miles from Lake Superior's coastline. If this were to flood, it would flow right into Lake Superior and the Presque Isle River, potentially infecting all the other Great Lakes as well.

While profits are expected from this endeavor, the long-term effects on the region have many people worried. Mining in an otherwise undisturbed region of land toted for its wilderness risks disturbing the "peace" established there and opens a door for more companies to try capitalizing on the land. Michigan makes $12 billion annually from outdoor activities, so mining here seems reckless and unnecessary.

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At the time of writing, 168,082 people have signed a petition to stop the Copperwood Mine. Overall, this is an incredibly summarized explanation of the potential issues with this project. For more information, you can read Tom Grotewohl's in-depth breakdown of the project or this article about the controversy with the Grant.