Daily Press Article on Application https://www.dailypress.net/page/content.detail/id/532696.htmlIs U.P. mining making a comeback?Companies explore optionsOctober 4, 2011Daily PressTRAVERSE CITY (AP) - As one company begins drilling a nickel and copper mine in Michigan's Upper Peninsula, another has applied for state permits to mine copper and silver in a different section of the peninsula near Lake Superior.Orvana Minerals Corp., a subsidiary of a Toronto-based mining company, is targeting 798 million pounds of copper and 3.5 million ounces of silver from an underground deposit near Ironwood, on the U.P.'s far western end. Orvana has filed paperwork required for 13 permits - one from the state Department of Natural Resources and the others from the Department of Environmental Quality.If they are approved and the parent company decides to proceed, the mine would operate an estimated 14 years and employ about 250 people, said Bill Williams, president of Orvana's U.S. subsidiary."We look forward to this permit review process and are optimistic about a positive outcome," Williams said Monday.Copper and iron mining was big business in the Upper Peninsula for more than a century after discovery of rich deposits in the mid-1800s. But the industry gradually declined. At present, the only active mines in the region are the Empire and Tilden iron operations in Marquette County.But a resurgence may be coming. Kennecott Minerals Co. recently began initial drilling for a nickel and copper mine in northwestern Marquette County scheduled to begin operations in 2013, although opponents are challenging in court the DEQ's decision to issue permits.Two other companies, Aquila Resources Inc. and HudBay Minerals Inc., are exploring a zinc and gold deposit in Menominee County. They have postponed filing for permits while continuing to determine the size of the ore body, said Hal Fitch, director of the DEQ's Office of Geological Survey.Several organizations and the Keweenaw Bay Indian Community have fought the Kennecott project, and environmentalists have raised concerns that a mining industry comeback could pollute the region's waters and air while disrupting wildlife habitat and the region's treasured solitude.Michelle Halley, a National Wildlife Federation attorney who led the legal challenge of the Kennecott mine, said she has begun reviewing the Orvana documents."As far as whether we will choose to submit technical comments or litigate, it remains to be seen," Halley said.Among potential red flags are the company's plan to withdraw an average of 150,000 gallons of Lake Superior water each day and discharge treated wastewater into a creek that feeds the lake, she said. Also worrisome is that the underground portion of the mine would reach to within 200 feet of the lake, Halley said.Williams said the 200-foot buffer zone would protect the lake. Surface buildings and other infrastructure would be at least a mile inland, he said."We have spent a lot of time and effort doing all the testing that was above and beyond what was required," Williams said. "We've presented a very sound mine plan with minimal environmental impact."Among the most contentious issues with the Kennecott project is the potential for acid mine drainage - a chemical reaction that generates acid when sulfur-bearing minerals are exposed to air and water. Williams said the chances of that happening with the Orvana mine were remote because the ore body contains little pyrite, the iron sulfide that most commonly becomes acidic.Plans call for crushing the rock and producing mineral concentrates at the site, then shipping them elsewhere for smelting, which reduces them to raw metals.Fitch said the DEQ has determined that Orvana has submitted a complete application. The public will get several opportunities to comment in person and in writing before the department makes a final decision, which could happen in as early as seven months, he said.The agency has a team of experts who will review the 6,000 pages of documents and will hire outside help if needed, Fitch said."We will make sure the process is public and that we address the concerns that are out there," DEQ spokesman Brad Wurfel said.