jrham 0 Report post Posted October 24, 2003 The Yellow Dog River is a pristine trout stream located in the Upper Peinsula of Michigan. Because it is in a very remote region, not too many folks outside of our area know of it. But, this is soon to change.Sulfide Mining exploration is in process by Kennecott Mining the EPA's worst polluter in the United States (www.epa.gov/triexplorer/). Since 1992 they have been quitely acquiring mineral leases and now have over 420,000 completed in just two counites. An alliance has been formed to protect our watershed from Sulfide pollution. We are known as The Eagle Alliance. If you would like to view pictures of the Yellow Dog and see for yourself why we are fighting to keep it as it is, go to www.ydeaglescry.com. Of great importance to all folks who fish for trout and salmon is a project that is in process to re-introduce Coaster Brook Trout to several rivers on the South Shore of Lake Superior. One of them is the Salmon/Trout which is in the reaches of the current exploration. We need help from everyone who values cold water fisheries. JRHAM Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Guest Report post Posted October 24, 2003 What a treasure. I have only fished it once, but the scenery was fabulous. How does the Huron Mountain Club feel about this? Welcome, even if it is with bad news. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Steeldrifter 0 Report post Posted October 24, 2003 Mining is a threat to any stream/river/ecosystem and it is something that they will always push on us and say....."ohhhhh noooo,we know what we are doing...there wont be any damage to the system" I'm sure others on here can think of a fav. river that is threatened right now in the lower penn. Oh just a little stream that is called THE AU SABLE!!!!! They are wanting to drill right off the south branch banks and only a few 100 yrds behind a structure called the fisherman's chaple! As far as i'm concerened the whole deal is and i think they are a bunch of bastards for even wanting to do that to the au sable........Sorry to get off your point there jrham i just love the au sable and would hate to see anything bad happen to it. Anyway back to your point.....i can totally understand your problem and feel for ya bud,just let us know if thier is anything we can do to help. Perhaps you have a email or phone # of someone that we could write or call? And welcome aboard! SD Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
jrham 0 Report post Posted October 24, 2003 SD, I am a TU member and have been supportive of the action being taken on the So. Branch. Before I moved up to the UP, three years ago, I fished all three, So, Main and North. My son has a place on the North and we usually open the season there. Michigan TU Council Executive Director Rich Bowman has been involved with the drilling activity. Fortunately there are more state policys governing drilling than sulfide mining. If you want to contact our Eagle Alliance director, you can get her email and phone number at www.ydeaglescry.com The address is Eagle Alliance, Yellow Dog Watershed Preserve, P. O. Box 5, Big Bay, Mi 49855. Sulfide Mining unlike Oil and Gas has no regs in Michigan governing the actual mining. Currently Kennecott has approval from the DEQ to do exploration (Core sample Drilling) in an area just 116 feet from the Salmon Trout River which has Coaster Brook Trout in it. Any you can would be greatly appricated. JRHAM Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
jrham 0 Report post Posted October 24, 2003 Shoe, The Huron Mountain Club has joined us in stopping Kennecott. We have received financial help and a public statment from them supporting our efforts. As you know the Salmon Trout which passes through their club grounds is within 116 ft. from the current drilling. They are very concerned. We face an uphill battle; Kennecott has experience and we are learning as we proceed with this very important project. It is not only the watershed that is threaten, but the entire area due to the needs for paved roads, massive power, where not exist today, railroads for transporting ore and waste/tailing dumps in the woods. It is truely frightening to us. JRHAM Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Guest Report post Posted October 24, 2003 Pretty scary stuff. It will be most difficult to stop any type mining/drilling with the current status of our State's budget shortfall. If the Mountain Club and all of it's influential/wealthy members can't stop them, it seems like a lost cause. Real sad when one considers the the variety of wildlife, including moose will somehow be effected. My dad had told me stories of fishing some of the beaver ponds and catching monster brookies only to be run off by the hired guards...LOL Please keep us abreast. Thanks Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Steeldrifter 0 Report post Posted October 25, 2003 jrham i will write to the address that you gave and also email them. I understand how dangerous this is for a trout stream to be threatened by minning/drilling and would be more than happy to help voice a concerned opinion. I really think others should do the same because it starts with 1 stream and the next thing you know theres drilling/minning on YOUR favorite stream. And even though they say this is an exploratory mine,if the find what they are lookin for then you know there will be others. SD Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
jrham 0 Report post Posted October 25, 2003 SD You are right in your conclusion about this effort by Kennecott. If it were only Kennecott we might have an easier foe, but, Kennecott is a wholely owned subsidary of Rio Tinto, a London based company. They are a very well financed company with mining all over the world. In fact just north in Canada they are one of two companies that now consist of the world largest Diamond mines, (Diavik) estimate as worth $1Billion Canadian in an article in yesterdays Wall Street Jr. We are not going to win this without help from outside our small community. The fact remains that we must continue to fight this. Acid Mine Drain cannot be controlled with exisitng technology. Period. You might recall that in the movie, "A River Runs Through it", they could not use the actual river (Big Blackfoot River) that Norman Maclean and his family fished because of acid run off. Although much effort has been put forth lead my Orvis to reclaim this river, it should never had happened. Getting the message out will help. Wouldn't it be nice if 60 Minutes could do a piece on this David and Goliath story? JRHAM Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Steeldrifter 0 Report post Posted October 25, 2003 Yupp i remenber hearing that they had do shoot the fishing/river scence on the galliain because the big blackfoot was in such bad shape....SAD!!! Like i said we should all try to help jrham on this guys,theres strength in numbers! SD P.S....$1Billion canadian,thats only like $330bucks U.S right ....sorry i had to Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Guest Report post Posted October 27, 2003 A lot of Eastern Ky streams have been decimated by strip mine run off and some water sheds have been completely destroyed when retaining ponds burst and dump hundreds of millions of gallons of coal sludge into the rivers. I used to work for some of these companies, and it's the only economy in most of Southeastern Ky...so it's kinda the lesser of two evils....do you stand up and defend your environment, or do you keep your job and pay the bills and fish in Virginia? Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
jrham 0 Report post Posted October 27, 2003 Big Daddy, We have a similar problem up here in the far Nrthern reaches of Michigan. We also have the worlds largest supply of fresh water, The Great Lakes, soundering our state. If we don't take a stand, then one day we will be faced with something that will pale to our energy shortage. We can live without oil, but not very long without water. Sulifde mning produces sulfuric acid. There is no known technology today to manage it. Once it is released in the aquifer, or streams, it is devastating to all living things, including people. We are engaged in a re-introduction of Coaster Brook Trout on several rivers on the South shore of Lake Supriore. The proposed mining site is 116 ft away from a current stream that has naturally spauning Coaster. Further, we average over 300 feet of snow each year ( your might ask why anyone would live here?) with a significant run-off in the Spring. Current mining procedure is to discharge the water that is released during the operation into holding ponds. Kennecott has two options when they build these ponds, a liner or clay. They have choosen clay. I will leave the potential hazards to your imagination. Jrham Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Guest Report post Posted October 28, 2003 clay, huh? cheaper for them I suppose....just a matter of time before you have an environmental nightmare.... Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
