Keweenaw Report Your Source for Local News and Sports
An environmental watchdog group is voicing their concerns surrounding the Eagle Mine and the effect on ground and surface water.
“Save the Wild U.P” President Kathleen Heideman says they are concerned about the long term effects of mining on surface water, drinking water and water sheds.
“Treated industrial waste water from their facility, all the mine contact water, process water, everything that comes into contact with the trucks they pre–treat it and run it through millions of processes and reverse osmosis and then they put it in the ground, but it does not stay in the ground water, it’s conveyed. It moves and it comes out of the side of the hills that treat the salmon trout river,” said Kathleen Heideman, President, Save the Wild U.P.
Group Interim Director Alexandra Maxwell says they are looking to the Department of Environmental Quality to get a permit for the protection of surface water.
“It would mean that the mine has to adhere to more stringent water regulations. There affluent has to be treated even more carefully and the folks with camps on the Yellow Dog Plains wouldn’t have to be worried about treating their water that comes out of the camps and they can drink their water without concerns,” said Interim Director, Alexandra Maxwell, Save the Wild U.P.
As the mine is looking to a new project, Eagle East; “Save the Wild U.P.” is fearful that this could also devastate watersheds like the Salmon Trout or the Yellow Dog.
