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Final permit issued for Copperwood mine

ONTONAGON COUNTY, MI--   The Department of Environmental Quality has issued the final permit for Orvana Corporation to build its Copperwood mine in Ontonagon County. 

It’s the last major permit the Canadian company needs to begin construction on the nearly 1,800-acre copper and silver mine 18 miles southwest of the former White Pine Mine.

Orvana modified its original proposal to include adding preservation tracts to the wetland mitigation plan, raising the height of the tailings basin and amending the channel design for diverting existing streams.  Orvana’s wetlands, inland lakes and streams application was also modified to address the public’s other environmental concerns.

Orvana estimates it would remove an average of 47.8 million pounds of copper and 110,000 ounces of silver per year over the estimated 14-year lifespan of the mine.

The company hopes to begin production in 2014. 

Nicole was born near Detroit but has lived in the U.P. most of her life. She graduated from Marquette Senior High School and attended Michigan State and Northern Michigan Universities, graduating from NMU in 1993 with a degree in English.