Northern Michigan University on Dec. 10, 2021 | Allison R. Donahue
While funding for a copper mine in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula sits in limbo, opponents of the project have shared that a key proponent of the project dropped its support in July.
Protect the Porkies, a nonprofit opposing the construction of the Copperwood Mine in Gogebic County near the Porcupine Mountains Wilderness State Park, circulated a letter on Monday from Northern Michigan University (NMU) President Brock Tessman dated July 19, 2024. In the letter, Tessman notes the university does not support the mine after previously offering support for the effort on Nov. 22, 2023.
In the letter provided by Protect the Porkies, Tessman raised questions about the long-term economic impact of the project, noting that the mine’s benefits could be overshadowed by ecological damage and an economic downturn following the mine’s closure at the end of its projected 11-year lifespan.
While the project is expected to generate $425 million in total capital investment and create 380 jobs, opponents have argued those jobs would likely be filled by individuals from outside of the region.
Tessman also pointed to additional concerns on how the mine would impact Indigenous treaty rights and natural resources, as well as its proximity to both Lake Superior and the Porcupine Mountains State Park.
“The project sits on land of long-standing significance to Indigenous peoples and is subject to the 1842 Treaty of La Pointe between the United States and federally recognized tribes that are successors to Ojibwe bands that entered the Treaty,” Tessman said in the letter.
“The scope of the mine project also overlaps with Michigan’s cherished Porcupine Mountains State Park. Most importantly the site is proximate to — and sits on streams and other topography that flow directly into — Lake Superior, which serves as the source of vitality and sustainability for the
people and the natural environment of our region,” Tessman said.
The mine would also sit adjacent to the North Country Trail, the longest trail in the National Trails System.
Indigenous activists and environmental advocates have repeatedly raised concerns about the impact the mine could have on the region. The mine’s tailings basin, which would collect waste leftover from the mining process, would sit on land sloping toward Lake Superior, breeding fears that the lake could be contaminated with heavy metals in the mine’s tailings should the dam collapse.
Protect the Porkies has also pointed to the potential for the mine’s exhaust to harm wildlife by spreading heavy metals into the air and nearby waterways.
The group raised concerns about acid mine drainage caused by sulfides in the mine’s tailings. When combined with air and water, these tailings could produce sulfuric acid, leading to heavy metals leaching into ground or surface water.
Highland Copper, the company that owns the mine, and Invest UP, an Upper Peninsula-based economic development organization, have both pushed back on these concerns, noting that the project meets Michigan’s mining laws and the tailings facility has been designed to protect against large and small breaches.
They also said the copper that would be mined has a non-acid generating ore body, meaning it would not produce acidic runoff.
However, opponents have remained unswayed, continuing to stress the impact that the mine would have on the landscape alongside rising concerns of tailings dam failures, including a 2020 report from the Association of State Dam Safety Officials which said Michigan’s Dam Safety Program was “extremely understaffed to perform the mission of dam safety as mandated by the legislation, rules, and best practice.”
When asked about the NMU letter, Invest UP provided a statement from CEO Marty Fittante.
“The Copperwood Project presents a once-in-a-generation opportunity for Michigan and the Western Upper Peninsula, creating more than 380 permanent jobs and 300 construction jobs and meeting Michigan’s stringent mining and environmental regulations. That’s why twenty-two units of government, ranging from townships to county boards, have issued resolutions of support, nearly ten local institutions have submitted letters of support, and dozens of community leaders have spoken publicly in support,” Fittante said.
In his letter, Tessman noted the university is not dismissing the short term economic benefits the project could bring, but rather acknowledging the complex tradeoffs associated with the effort.
“In summary, NMU’s decision to withdraw support for the Copperwood Mine Project does not mean that we will not support any mine, anywhere, at any time. It simply means that we do not see the Copperwood Mine as the right mine, in the right place, at this time,” Tessman said.
Derek Hall, a spokesperson for Northern Michigan University, told the Michigan Advance that Tessman “is not adding any comments related to his letter from last July.”
In a statement shared alongside the letter, Protect the Porkies and fellow opponents of the mine cheered NMU’s decision to pull support for the project.
“We applaud NMU and Dr. Tessman for their commitment to the truth and setting the record straight,” said Jane Fitkin, an NMU alumna and director of Citizens for a Safe & Clean Lake Superior.
“It’s critical to have transparency from our public bodies. While we wish this letter had come out sooner, we’re glad that members of the NMU community can now know that their university isn’t supporting a project with detrimental effects to our environment and long-term economy,” Fitkin said.
However, a number of northern Michigan Republicans have slammed the university’s decision to abandon support for the mine.
“The United States government has recognized copper and other materials are necessary and need to be mined here,” U.S. Rep. Jack Bergman, (R-Watersmeet) said in a statement. “This isn’t a game, it’s livelihoods and the future of our nation. These critical minerals, which are just as necessary for NMU itself, are needed now both for our security and for our economic prosperity.”
Copper is listed as one of the “electric 18” minerals identified by the U.S. Department of Energy as critical for supporting a transition to clean energy.
Other lawmakers pushed back on Tessman’s questions on the project’s long-term impact.
“I just visited various businesses and Gogebic Community College last month,” state Rep. Dave Prestin, (R-Cedar River) said. “The area has been abandoned by the state and many opportunities for far too long.”
“NMU succumbing to activist rhetoric about the jobs not being good enough or long enough fails to recognize what the citizens there are saying. Schools, colleges, communities and citizens have all issued statements of support, including 22 local resolutions of support. They deserve to see the prosperity Marquette County and, especially, NMU have enjoyed from having the Eagle Mine and Tilden operating in their area,” Prestin said.
Highland Copper also issued multiple statements Tuesday addressing both the NMU letter and criticism of the mining project.
“Highland Copper understands that Northern Michigan University has moved to a position of neutrality on the Copperwood project. In consultation with them, we understand NMU feels neutrality is more appropriate for this and other topics where an educational institution may not need to provide a formal opinion,” one statement said.
“We will continue to work with NMU and other educational partners to ensure Copperwood’s many career opportunities are available to them and residents of the UP. Copperwood cannot be built without the support of the local UP workforce and Michigan’s unions,” the company said.
While the Michigan House Appropriations committee voted to approve $50 million in state strategic funds for the mine earlier this year to be used for site readiness, those dollars have been left in limbo after the Senate Appropriations Committee opted against holding a vote on the funding transfer.
Last term, both chambers were controlled by Democrats. Republicans are now in charge of the state House for this legislative session.
The mine’s supporters remain optimistic that lawmakers could act on the funds in 2025.
“While we are disappointed the Senate chose not to take action on the Copperwood Mine project this year, we are optimistic it will move forward in 2025,” Fittante said in another statement.
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