Torch Lake meeting is tonight

A meeting in Lake Linden tonight could steer the way local governments deal with physical structures left over from the mining era.
 
Members from the Michigan Department of Community Health will appear with representatives from the Department of Environmental Quality…the Environmental Protection Agency…the Western Upper Peninsula Health Department…and local officials.
 
The topic will be the results of two recent studies by the state.  One says that there’s no evidence of contamination in the drinking water but the other recommends action to be taken to deal with existing physical hazards.
 
Items listed as potentially dangerous to public health include the partially sunken dredge in the Torch Lake area and the old ruins along M-26.
 
The report says there’s evidence that trespassers can still reach these sites and could get hurt.
 
Though there is a caveat that says the historical nature of the area should be preserved…the report suggests that some of these structures should be removed or restricted.
 
Many residents argue that these ruins should remain as part of the local landscape while others see them as junk that should have been torn down years ago.
 
An open house will be held today at the Lake Linden-Hubbell High School from 4 to 6pm with the meeting at 7.

The public is encouraged to attend.