IRONWOOD, MI— Tribal members and environmentalists are holding a water walk in Gogebic County Saturday in response to the proposed Copperwood Mine.
Mine officials want to construct it at the juncture of Porcupine Mountains State Park, Lake Superior, the North Country Trail, and Black River Harbor.
Tom Grotewohl is founder of the Protect the Porkies campaign. He says copper represents only about 1.5 percent of what would be extracted, and the rest would be waste. Grotewohl says the toxic waste would be stored on downward-sloping topography close to Lake Superior, which isn’t a suitable location for that type of operation.
The Gichigaming Water Walk is a collaboration between Protect the Porkies members of tribal nations like the Bad River, Red Cliff Keweenaw Bay Indian Community, Lac Vieux Desert, and Sault Ste. Marie. Water will be taken from the Montreal River at the state line in Ironwood. It will be carried 31 miles to Bessemer, Wakefield, and the mine site, and will conclude at the mouth of the Presque Isle River at Lake Superior in Porkies.
Grotewohl notes the event is not a protest.
“This is a ceremony to honor our connection to the land and the waters and the life forms here, but it is being held in response to Copperwood and the goal of the walk, the intention of the walk, is to offer prayers of protection.”
An opening ceremony will begin Saturday at 8 a.m. Central in Ironwood. All are welcome to participate in the relay and feast at the end of the event. More information is at www.protecttheporkies.com.
Highland Copper says it is committed to proactive water management and dedicated to strong environmental monitoring practices and continued compliance with all environmental obligations.
