Public pressure thwarts Copperwood Mining Corporation’s $50 million grant bid in UP

Public pressure and grassroots efforts block $50 million state-funded grant for controversial copper mine in Upper Peninsula

Photo: Lake Superior. Credit: michiganut

A grassroots movement has successfully blocked a $50 million grant proposal for the controversial Copperwood mining project in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula. A coalition of environmental groups, local residents and concerned citizens rallied against state funding for the mine, which would operate less than two miles from Lake Superior and run partly beneath Porcupine Mountains Wilderness State Park.

Copperwood Resources, Inc., a US-based subsidiary of Canada’s Highland Copper Company, applied for the grant from the University of Michigan Strategic Site Readiness Program (SSRP)administered by the Michigan Economic Development Corporation (MEDC). The grant was supposed to fund infrastructure, such as roads, utilities and water systems, in preparation for the mine’s construction. While the Michigan House of Representatives approved the funding last summer, final approval of the grant stalled in the Senate after mounting public pressure.

The economic playing field of the mine

Copperwood supporters say the project will bring significant economic benefits to the area. According to Copperwood’s feasibility study, the mine is expected to deliver Net present value after taxes is $167.6 million During construction 380 direct job opportunities Over its 11-year operational life. The mine will use A Room and column underground mining methodare designed to minimize surface disturbance, while investments in water treatment systems and a tailings disposal facility (TDF) are intended to address environmental concerns.

The project is part of a broader effort to meet clean energy demands, as copper is essential for renewable technologies such as wind turbines and electric vehicles.

Environmental and cultural concerns

However, opponents have raised deep concerns about the environmental impact of the mine, especially its storage Mine waste — Toxic waste remaining after copper extraction. With the ore containing less than 1.5% of copper 98% of the extracted materials It will remain as stored waste in a landfill covering 320 acres uphill from Lake Superior.

Critics highlighted the main risks:

• Toxic filtration: Waste can release heavy metals such as arsenic and lead into waterways if containment systems fail.
• Acid Mine Drainage (AMD)Exposure to air and water can generate sulfuric acid, contaminating soil and water for decades.
• Dust emissions: Dry waste may release toxic particles, harming nearby communities and wildlife.
• Structural failures: Seismic events or design flaws can cause catastrophic waste spills.

The location of the mine is on land ceded to the United States by law 1842 Treaty of La Pointe He added another layer of opposition. Local Ojibwe nations asserted that pollution could threaten their treaty-protected rights to hunt, fish and gather on their ancestral lands.

Popular victory

The turning point has come December 19, 2024when the final match Senate Appropriations Committee meeting To approve the grant it was cancelled. In a video update, Chris Vaughn, a Wakefield resident and prominent voice for the ProtectThePorkies.com grassroots movement, declared the decision a clear victory:

“Today’s Senate Appropriations Meeting, the last opportunity to approve the grant for the proposed Copperwood Mine this year, has been cancelled. I think this is a fairly clear indication that legislators do not plan to pass this bulletin to the Copperwood Mine… This victory is not ours alone; It’s all the amazing life that calls the Porcupine Mountains, Lake Superior, and surrounding areas home.

Vaughn attributed his success to teamwork: “Whether you write a letter to your senators, call a senator, write a blog post or share a link… it’s really you. It’s everyone taking time out of their day to speak up for places that aren’t Have a voice in this process.

The campaign saw widespread support from organizations including… Upper Peninsula Environmental Alliance, Michigan Environmental Council, Sierra Club classesand The original ecological network. Their efforts mobilized tens of thousands of people who expressed concerns about the environmental and cultural impacts of the project.

What’s next?

While the grant denial represented a major win for opponents, Vaughn urged continued vigilance, noting that Copperwood could still pursue private funding to advance the project:

“Even without Michigan funding, the mine could advance through free market forces…but we will be here, staying vigilant. We will be here with tens of thousands of people participating.”