Highland Copper, a Canadian junior mining company, has been working to open a copper mine adjacent to the Porcupine Mountains State Park, which has stirred up controversy throughout the region. Site preparation for the Copperwood Mine was initiated in 2023, and Highland Copper is advancing towards construction. Since 1945, Porcupine Mountains State Park has been a spot in the Western Upper Peninsula for backpackers, hikers, skiers, and outdoor enthusiasts to explore and be immersed in one of the most extensive stands of old-growth northern hardwood forest in North America.
State Representative Greg Markkanen, who represents Michigan’s 110th District, spoke highly of the project, stating, “[T]he mine is fully permitted and will bring significant economic benefits, including 380 full-time jobs and 300 construction jobs.” Markkanen also emphasized that the local townships will benefit from the project, commenting, “[T]he project will also benefit local communities by upgrading infrastructure and supporting other industries.” Wakefield Township specifically is expected to see growth from the project. “You know, the Western UP doesn’t get a lot of economic opportunities. This is one. Wakefield Township is going to be the fiduciary agent of this. It’s not only the mine, it’s also going to help Wakefield Township and Gogebic County to upgrade a possible industrial site on 519, make that a seasonal all-season road, and bring the grid back there.” According to Highland Copper’s website, “Copperwood meets all of Michigan’s mining regulations and permitting standards as established by the Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes & Energy (EGLE).”
Tom Grotewohl, a Wakefield Township resident and founder of the Protect the Porkies movement, believes the infrastructure alone will negatively impact the environment surrounding the Porcupine Mountains, with or without the mine. Grotewohl commented, “[T]his is, you know, a very remote uninhabited area right next to Porcupine Mountains State Park, Lake Superior, and the North Country Trail, for a mine to be there, they need to have the power grid, the cell tower, and the heavy industrial roads.” Grotewohl also pointed out that only 1.45 percent of what would come out of the mine is copper, with the other 98.55 percent being waste materials. He stated that “for every ton of the extract, it’s only 30 pounds of copper. If you take a five-dollar-per-pound price of copper, they make $150 off of that. And that’s only the first ton out of over thirty million.” According to Citizens for a Safe & Clean Lake Superior, the rest will be sulfide-bearing mine waste that will need to be stored onsite. To do so, the mining company is currently clearing wetlands to construct a 320-acre tailings pond to hold the waste, which will sit approximately two miles from the Lake Superior shoreline on terrain sloping toward the lake. Highland Copper has constructed a wetland region to replace the wetlands it cleared. According to copperwoodproject.com, “Highland copper has planted more than 30 different species of wetland sedges, grasses, rushes, wildflowers and trees to create 14 acres of new and improved wetland habitat.”
Protect the Porkies also cites environmental impacts, warning that U.S. mines pollute up to 27 billion gallons of water annually, extraction and primary processing of metals and other minerals is responsible for 20 percent of health impacts from air pollution, and that half of all toxic chemicals that were released or disposed into the environment originated from the metal mining industry, nearly 2 billion pounds of them.
In August, the Michigan House of Representatives passed a state budget that included $50 million in funding requested by Wakefield Township. The money is not specifically for the mine, but rather for upgrading and implementing infrastructure to bring projects like the mine to the area. It is currently unclear if this funding package will be included in the final budget. More information about the Copperwood Mine can be found at Highland Copper’s website. More information on the possible environmental impact of the mine can be found on the Protect the Porkies website.
