WHITE PINE, MI-- The Michigan Department of Environmental Quality says it has approved the last major permit needed for constructing a copper and silver mine in the Western U.P.
The agency says the permit dealing with protection of wetlands, inland lakes, and streams at the Copperwood mine was issued after many months of state and federal review. The permit allows Orvana Corporation "to extract useful elements" and protect natural resources to the extent possible in the mine north of Wakefield.
The DEQ says Orvana made numerous changes in its original proposal to limit environmental damage in response to government and public comments. Among them are replacing culverts with bridges, adding wetland preservation tracts, and using natural design instead of ditches for channels that will divert streams around a waste rock basin.
