GOGEBIC COUNTY, Mich. (WLUC) – On Wednesday, the Gogebic County Board of Commissioners voted unanimously in favor of bringing $50 million of infrastructure money to the county.
The funding would support infrastructure for Highland Copper’s Copperwood Mine Project.
The Copperwood Mine would be built 14 miles North of Wakefield in Gogebic County.
Gogebic Country Commissioner Michael Yon said the money the commission voted on on Wednesday would be used to improve roads.
“Primarily it will be used to rebuild Country Road 519 which goes from 28 all the way to the Porkies,” said Yon.
The money would also be used to move electric infrastructure from Ironwood to Wakefield township and the Copperwood Mine if it becomes operational.
“It is not going to the company,” said Yon. “The company is, the way I understand it’s set up right now, they have to manage it, but the county will be definitely involved in how it’s spent.”
Wakefield Township resident and Protect the Porkies Founder Tom Grotewohl expressed his concerns about the environmental risks of the mine in a statement.
“There are a great many, both within the county and beyond, who cherish the Porcupine Mountains, Lake Superior, Black River Harbor, and the North Country Trail, which surround the mine site on all four sides, and do not believe the wellbeing of these places should be sacrificed for the sake of short-term jobs — many of which would go to specialized non-residents — and copper to be shipped out of country,” said Grotewohl.
There were several community members at the meeting on Wednesday who expressed concerns about the environmental risks of the mine.
When asked for comment, one community member declined due to fears for personal safety.
Yon personally does not believe the mine will decrease tourism and pointed out that the funding will improve the road leading to the Porcupine Mountains.
“I had multiple phone calls today and emails and none of them were a 906-area code,” said Yon. “And being a Yooper, 906 is where we’re at. And so, we have a lot of opposition but my constituents in Wakefield Township overwhelmingly is supporting this mine.”
The funding still needs to be approved by the Michigan Senate Appropriations Committee.
We will continue to update you on this story as it develops.
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