About 42 kilometers NW of Marquette is the Eagle Mine, a newly found nickel sulfide deposit developed by Rio Tinto, a leading international mining corsortium. The project has now been sold to a Toronto Mining Group. This project is developing according to regulations of the state of Michigan, Department of Environmental Quality. The development has created concern from Michigan residents and environmental groups. Public officials including the Governor have taken a neutral stance and are demanding that environmental regulations be followed. There is active public opposition and the mining company is attempting to communicate about public concerns. Located in a district where mining has been long active, the project has supporters and opposition and overall the situation is polarized to the point that the opposition is proposing civil disobedience. With polarization comes abundant misinformation, and there is a need for clear scientific discussion about the real environmental issues. In this class we have seen many public misconceptions about earth science. This public “debate” about new mining has uncovered many misconceptions. Correcting these is difficult and leaves less time and patience for discussion of the important issues.
One interesting aspect about this deposit is unusual geochemistry, which includes platinum and palladium enrichments. These greatly increase the value of the deposit and have spurred a search for more deposits like this one.
What we know is:
1. Needs for materials from the Earth appear to be nearly irresistible, and mining is genuinely needed to allow for basic needs of people.
2. Sulfide minerals can provide an environmental threat because they can lead to acid water conditions which could affect groundwater and surface water if not managed properly. Other environmental issues with mining include erosion and sedimentation, cyanide and other chemicals, dust, and habitat modification.
3. Poor management practices are part of mining history and these have led to strong efforts at regulation. They have also led to elaborate reclamation activities.
4. These regulations have changed the design of mining plans greatly. New mine environmental plans are quite different from those of the past.
The public supports the need for environmental regulation. Are the current regulations adequate? Why shouldn’t nickel mining go ahead if regulations are followed?
The public has an obligation to resolve these decisions in a rational way. Understanding earth science is important, since many environmental issues are misconceived. Given the international need for mined materials, it is important to find ways to educate the public, which is needed for solutions that solve the problem. What does sales of the project mean about its future?
Outdated Wikipedia site for Eagle Mine:
Pro Mining Information Sites:
Kennecott Eagle Project—Yellow Dog Plains
Kennecott to open education center in Marquette - MiningJournal
Opposition Sites:
Eagle Project Nickel & Copper Mine : Republic of Lakotah – Mitakuye Oyasin
