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Houghton County Commissioner Tom Tikkanen gave an update on the Fifth Street Fire at Tuesday night’s meeting. He discussed a recent inspection of the site by state and federal environmental agencies. They are collaborating nearby to come up with a solution for the stamp sands that threaten the Buffalo Reef.
Calumet Village Manager Caleb Katz confirms the visit.
Due to the historic nature of the buildings, the ruins contain asbestos and other hazardous materials. Katz says it is not clear if the findings will help Calumet access funding for cleanup efforts. The fire does not meet the threshold for federal assistance, thought to be around $15 million. State funds are not meant for private buildings, even when a municipality is facing the prospect of shouldering the burden of removal on its own.
In other business, the Western Upper Peninsula Health Department presented on the New Points program, which uses public funds to market a needle exchange. The syringes themselves are paid for with other methods. Gail Ploe and Kate Beer said the impetus for New Points is to avoid having a situation like Scott County, Indiana. With a population of only 24,181, shared needles for intravenous drug use in the area led to an HIV outbreak that totaled roughly 200 cases in 2014.
Ploe says multiple counties in the western UP are at risk for a similar occurrence.
She says that New Points isn’t an endorsement of narcotic use or addiction, but it can be valuable in providing a kind interaction with someone who is struggling. The simple act of handing over a bottle of water could create the building block for a fundamental transformation in someone others have given up on.
Ploe says 10 Houghton County residents have used the program so far, with three entering treatment. Keweenaw Report asked if that could be sustained through a larger population. Someone who finds a relatively unknown exchange has already taken a step to add some safety to an inherently risky behavior. One small step in the right direction can often beget another, and eventually forward momentum. Ploe says that is a good question, one we don’t have an answer to yet.
