LANSING, MI-- The Department of Environmental Quality has issued a wetlands permit for the Aquila Resources Back Forty Mine in Menominee County.
Officials say last month the Environmental Protection Agency and Aquila resolved several objections the EPA had raised about the project. The DEQ says it used that EPA-supported framework to draft the permit.
Under terms of the permit, Aquila must develop an enhanced groundwater modeling and monitoring plan before mining can begin. The company must develop state-of-the-art controls aimed at spill prevention and response to potential pollution releases. And Aquila must also develop a closure plan for the mine which includes a plan for returning waste rock to the pit in a way that eliminates future impacts to surface and ground water.
