01/10/2019- Aquila Resources has filed a mining permit amendment application for their Back 40 Mine in Menominee County’s Lake Township and dozens of people turned out to discuss the proposed changes Wednesday.
Michigan’s Department of Environmental Quality hosted a meeting on the amendments, which were submitted to the DEQ in early November. However, many of the residents that took the podium expressed a concern that the public comment period for the 904-page document is too short and the process to view it too cumbersome. Leah Jane Burray is a resident of McAllister and says the online link to the amendment was largely inaccessible.
The amendments themselves propose changes to the mine site’s overall footprint and tailings and waste rock management plan. Jon Saari, Board Member of the Upper Peninsula Environmental Coalition, says the alignment of this new plan is preparing for a longer and deeper future mine.
The public comment period on the proposed changes for the Back 40 mining permit is open until February 6th and can be mailed to Back Forty Mining Permit Amendment, MDEQ-OGMD, 1504 West Washington Street, Marquette, MI 49855. Comments can also be emailed to DEQ-Mining-Comments@michigan.gov, including “Back Forty Mining Permit Amendment” as the subject.

The Mining Permit Application Amendment documents may be accessed at the following:
https://www.michigan.gov/documents/deq/DEQ_FTP_372266_7.pdf

Once you are in the FTP site, select the “Mining” directory, then select the “Back Forty project.”

The amendment documents are:
R-MP Amendment Volume II EIA_Nov. 2018.pdf
R-MP Amendment Volume I_Nov. 2018.pdf