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river by only an earthen dam. The EPA found after a May 3, 2018 meeting with the company that the requirement to finalize plans with the State of
Michigan and evaluate impacts prior to starting construction in wetlands had addressed the agency's concerns. The DEQ then had to approve or reject the wetlands, lakes and streams permit by June 6, 2018, or authority for the permit application would transfer to the
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decided to renew the lease for the mine before it expired
December 27, 2021. Upper Peninsula lawmakers expressed their appreciation for the renewal with the expectation that the project would provide hundreds of good-paying construction, mining and administrative jobs, as well as contributing greatly
159:, discovered in 2001, may also produce smaller volumes of copper, silver and lead. The five key permits needed for the project to begin are a mining permit, an air permit, a water discharge permit, a wetland permit and a dam safety permit. The state of Michigan issued a draft mine permit in 2016. The
154:
Aquila
Resources submitted its first permit applications to the state of Michigan in 2015. The project was originally proposed as a 750-foot deep (230 m) open-pit mine on 83 acres (34 ha) to extract gold, zinc and other metals. An on-site processing mill will crush and refine minerals and
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The
Menominee Indian Tribe opposes the mine as the area has archaeological indicators such as burial mounds, raised garden beds, and dance rings which tell the story of their culture within the river’s watershed. The area is also sacred to the tribe as the Great White Bear emerged from the mouth of
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that harms water quality and is toxic to fish and smaller aquatic organisms. The river is one of the most important rivers in
Michigan as a part of a system that drains more than 4,000 square miles (10,000 km) of the Upper Peninsula and northern Wisconsin. The mine would be separated from the
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The air permit and a water discharge permit were approved but the wetland permit was denied in
January 2021 by an administrative law judge who found the permit did not provide reliable identification of
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to the region’s economy. Gold
Resource Corp. is redesigning the mine’s operational footprint by reducing the pit size and moving it further from the river to reduce the impact on wetlands.
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A major concern is the project's impact on the river and surrounding wetlands, which are vital to natural habitat, erosion protection and water quality. Under a 1984 agreement between the
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199:. The DEQ met the deadline and issued the permit. The site, 50 miles (80 km) upstream from the mouth of the river, is within the Lower Menominee River. Designated as a
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174:(EPA) and Michigan, the state took over issuance of dredge-and-fill permits for many of the state’s waterways, subject to the EPA’s oversight as preserved in the
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182:(MDEQ) raised concerns during their review about acidic mining wastes spilling into the river and surrounding waterways, which would then spill into the
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impacts and that the application was incomplete. Gold
Resource Corp. took over the project when it acquired Aquila Resources later in 2021. The
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said "The surface water discharge application meets the
Wisconsin water quality standards" as, while not having permitting authority,
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423:"Menominee River nomination for National Register of Historic Places could impact Back Forty Mine, private landowners"
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299:"Huge U.P. mine opposed by Wisconsin tribe was approved despite major concerns from regulators, records show"
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448:
548:
Indigenous
Knowledge for Sustainable Development: Case Studies of Three Indigenous Tribes in Wisconsin
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35:
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524:"Without Menominee Consent, New Back Forty Mine Developers Do Not Have Social License to Operate"
100:
224:, a three-day, 100-mile journey on foot (160 km) in 2016, expressed the concern of the
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472:"Wisconsin tribe seeks to protect a historic site where company plans to mine for gold"
551:(Masters thesis). University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point, College of Natural Resources.
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382:"Menominee Tribe Organizes Opposition To 'Back Forty' Mine As Project Nears Approval"
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356:"Michigan judge denies wetland permit for Back Forty mine along Menominee River"
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under the 1987 Great Lakes Water Quality Agreement, it was delisted in 2020.
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ores through flotation, separation and the use of cyanide. The underground
526:. First Peoples Worldwide, University of Colorado Boulder. March 18, 2022
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404:
Menominee Indian Tribe of Wisconsin v. Environmental Protection Agency
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for the potential impact of the mine on the riparian environment.
268:"In the UP, a new chapter begins in 20-year clash over gold mine"
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exposed to air and water undergo chemical reactions that create
494:"UP lawmakers applaud DNR lease renewal at Back Forty Mine"
564:"Menominee River Walk raises attention to proposed mine"
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451:. Environmental Protection Agency. January 7, 2020
328:"Michigan Grants Final Permit For Back Forty Mine"
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566:. Green Bay, Wisconsin: WBAY-TV. Archived from
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220:the river and became the first Menominee. The
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605:Proposed infrastructure in the United States
180:Michigan Department of Environmental Quality
21:
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161:Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources
135:mine targeting gold and zinc deposits in
380:Kaeding, Danielle (September 20, 2016).
213:Michigan Department of Natural Resources
610:Geography of Menominee County, Michigan
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167:is across the river from the project.
449:"Lower Menominee River AOC - Delisted"
411: (7th Cir. January 27, 2020).
16:Proposed open-pit mine in Michigan, US
470:Kaeding, Danielle (October 7, 2022).
7:
421:McLeod, Clint (September 26, 2022).
172:U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
226:Menominee Indian Tribe of Wisconsin
562:Alexander, Jeff (April 22, 2016).
354:Schulte, Laura (January 5, 2021).
326:Kaeding, Danielle (June 4, 2018).
297:Matheny, Keith (August 13, 2019).
266:Ellison, Garret (August 4, 2022).
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600:Gold mines in the United States
595:Zinc mines in the United States
1:
545:Griffin, Rory D. (May 2009).
429:. Negaunee, Michigan: WLUC-TV
139:in the South Central part of
197:U.S. Army Corps of Engineers
201:Great Lakes Area of Concern
165:Marinette County, Wisconsin
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360:Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
242:Copper mining in Michigan
474:. Wisconsin Public Radio
384:. Wisconsin Public Radio
330:. Wisconsin Public Radio
107:/back-forty-michigan-usa
498:Upper Michigan's Source
427:Upper Michigan's Source
303:Green Bay Press-Gazette
500:. Negaunee, Michigan:
230:environmental groups
222:Menominee River Walk
114:Year of acquisition
91:Gold Resource Corp.
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504:. January 10, 2022
178:. The EPA and the
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188:Sulfide ores
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147:next to the
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508:October 10,
455:October 11,
433:October 11,
388:October 19,
334:October 10,
584:Categories
530:October 9,
478:October 7,
365:October 8,
308:October 8,
277:October 7,
248:References
60:Production
36:Stephenson
131:metallic
105:/projects
236:See also
141:Michigan
129:open-pit
77:open-pit
65:Products
46:Michigan
32:Location
27:Location
502:WLUC-TV
209:wetland
133:sulfide
96:Website
88:Company
52:Country
407:,
272:MLive
83:Owner
42:State
532:2022
510:2022
480:2022
457:2022
435:2022
390:2017
367:2022
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279:2022
228:and
123:The
117:2021
103:.com
73:Type
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