More water contamination concerns regarding Eagle Mine

MARQUETTE COUNTY — Ground and surface water concerns still surround Eagle Mine with former and new water discharge permit issues.

“Save the Wild U.P”. has been monitoring the mining process and possible hazards and contamination to surface water, drinking water and water sheds from Eagle Mine.

The group is worried that the mining process does not have enough oversight and managers are not thinking of the long term effects of mining on the U.P. Wilds.

“Treated industrial waste water from their facility, all the mine contact water, process water, everything that comes into contact with the trucks they pre–treat it and run it through millions of processes and reverse osmosis and then they put it in the ground, but it does not stay in the ground water, it’s conveyed. It moves and it comes out of the side of the hills that treat the salmon trout river,” said Kathleen Heideman, President, Save the Wild U.P.

After being told that this is a Federal oversight matter from the DEQ and not a state one, the group is looking to get a National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System permit, the only clean water act that actually protects surface water.

“It would mean that the mine has to adhere to more stringent water regulations. There affluent has to be treated even more carefully and the folks with camps on the Yellow Dog Plains wouldn’t have to be worried about treating their water that comes out of the camps and they can drink their water without concerns,” said Interim Director, Alexandra Maxwell, Save the Wild U.P.

As the mine is looking to a new project, Eagle East; “Save the Wild U.P.” is fearful that this could also devastate wartersheds like the Salmon Trout or the Yellow Dog.

If you are interested in more information from Save The Wild U.P., or Eagle Mine you can visit their websites www.savethewildup.org or www.eaglemine.com.