Natalie Lashmet - Letter to Editor

We’re still facing the threat of mining here because Aquila’s resources transferred to GORO/Gold Resource Corp. GORO is working to get permitted now. They pretend they won’t destroy wetlands, but we know of the 5-mile “cone of dehydration” caused by pumping out their mine site.  That WILL dewater wetlands.  Do not fall for their misinformation.  They are threatening us.

Help by sending the bottom of this letter to each of the Michigan legislators listed below.  Sign your own name instead of mine!

Because of your environmental committee role, you are in a powerful position to change the law to protect Michigan.  We have a big problem you can help with.  MI Law Part 632 regulates “nonferrous metallic mineral mining” (sulfide-bound gold, copper, zinc, etc.) Every single sulfide ore mine in the world has undeniably polluted by generating sulfuric acid whenever the sulfide contacts air or water. That’s unpreventable. This sulfuric acid then leaches other toxins into ground and surface water from the exposed ore, up to 100’s of times more than predicted!

MI Law Part 632 must be changed to protect our fresh water resources: 1) Write a “Prove It First” law- Prove a sulfide-mineral mine operated for 10 years, was closed for 10 years, and still had not polluted before Michigan permits any sulfide mine, 2) Prohibit “upstream” tailings dams, the cheapest, most failure-prone type.  3) Mandate that the polluter pays for full remediation!

The current law exposes our waters to insurmountable risks.  The resultant devastation to tourism, water-dependent industries, those jobs, property values, and costs of remediation is orders of magnitude more than the amount of income from a mine’s taxes or royalties.

In 2015 a tailings dam (simple earth-bermed dam containing mining’s toxic slurry wastes of mercury, lead, arsenic, cyanide, etc.) failed destroying water for 300 miles downstream.

Today’s concentrated mining processes are far more toxic, causing many powers of magnitude more tailings, in unstable earthen dams, stored on site, waiting to burst, in Michigan, forever.

Please research the toxic effects of sulfide-bound mineral mining* and change Part 632 before any more such mines are approved in Michigan’s “massive sulfide” ore bodies.

*Do NOT accept reports from the self-serving mining industry.  That’s letting the fox watch the hen house propaganda.  Their proposed “proof”, a short list of mines world-wide that have not polluted has been debunked with facts. Look at actual results from reputable sources worldwide.

Thank you, in advance, for your action on this threat to Michigan.