MARQUETTE, MI— A new statewide poll indicates 71 percent of voters across Michigan support the proposed Copperwood Mine in Gogebic County.
InvestUP released the poll, which was conducted by EPIC-MRA, on Friday.It says those who back the project point to strong support from the local community, strict environmental mining regulations, and restoration of economic opportunity.
Forty-six percent of respondents had concerns about the project’s environmental impacts. After consideration of environmental factors, 61 percent remained in favor.
Environmentalists say the mine would be built by and under Porcupine Mountains State Park and generate more than 40 tons of toxic tailings in a storage area close to Lake Superior. They also point to a petition signed by nearly 500,000 people against the project.
On Tuesday, the Michigan Strategic Fund will consider approval of a nearly $50 million grant for Copperwood Resources and the Gogebic County Road Commission to prepare infrastructure for the mine.
