Kennecott Permit Protest Dismissed
Kennecott Minerals gets past one of its legal obstacles to getting the Eagle Mine built in Marquette County.
A Lansing judge has ruled that it was OK for the state DEQ to give Kennecott an air quality permit for the mine.
Mine opponents had challenged the permit for the proposed nickel and copper mine on the Yellow Dog Plains in Michigamme.
Kennecott still has other legal steps to go through.
Another challenge of both a DEQ mining permit and a DEQ wastewater discharge permit is still waiting for a judge’s decision.
Kennecott also needs a federal ground water discharge permit from the EPA.
It hasn’t been issued yet.
Judge Paula Manderfield was the one who OK’d the air quality permit last night.
You might remember that she’s a Houghton County native who lost an election last week for a state appeals judgeship.