NWF continues to work nationally, including here in the Great Lakes region, to close Clean Water Act loopholes that are allowing millions of tons of mining waste to be deposited in our surface waters. Please sign on to the attached letter (addressed to EPA, ACE and CEQ) and send the message that Great Lakes citizens care.
The undersigned individuals and organizations are writing to urge you to close two loopholes in the Clean Water Act (CWA) that allow sulfide (hardrock) mines to discharge untreated tailings and other wastes directly into the nation’s rivers, lakes, and wetlands.
A mineral rush is underway across the upper Great Lakes region. The waters, forests, and wildlife of the Lake Superior basin share their homelands with deposits of copper, nickel, gold, uranium, and other metals. One mine is already under contruction less than eight miles from Lake Superior beneath one of its tributaries. A second new mine in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula has been permitted less than one mile from Lake Superior. A large sulfide mine is proposed a short distance from the renowned Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness. Exploration is spreading like wildfire, fueled by worldwide demand and increasing metals prices.
Please click here for the complete letter: Protect the Great Lakes from CWA loopholes & mining
Sign on by leaving your name and organization, city and state, in the comment section below. Thank you!
