The Keweenaw Peninsula, located in the upper peninsula of Michigan was the site of the first copper boom. Industrial mining on a huge scale began in the middle of the 19th century. Previously pristine landscapes were rapidly converted to support the mining operations. The local ecosystem to this day has not recovered from the impact. In addition to the civil infrastructure needed to sustain the miners and heavy mining equipment the major environmental effects are being felt from the dumping of mining waste into the local lakes.
The peak of the mining was done during a time when the environment wasn't a factor in the public consciousness. While the conservation movement in the United States can be traced back to the founding it wasn't really popularized until the 1950s. As a result mining operations completely disregarded the environmental impacts of their practices. This can be seen even today in abandoned equipment, or massive beaches composed entirely of mining waste.
Torch lake (incidentally the site of the above pictured abandoned dredge) is one of the worse cases of pollution in the Keweenaw. The Environmental Protection Agency began investigating Torch lake in 1988 and eventually declared it a Super Fund Site. Over 200 million tons of copper mill stamp sand, in addition to chemicals used in the mining process, are believed to have been dumped into the lake. The Environmental Protection Agency warns of health concerns from ingesting the waters or fish taken from the lake. The primary impact is on the lake's ecosystem. While the EPA website no longer contains the report, it is mirrored here.
In addition to Torch lake massive amounts of stamp sand has also been dumped into Lake Superior, along the east side of the Keweenaw. Besides the concerns of contamination, stamp sand poses many other risks to wildlife. This article from the Great Lakes Indian Fish and Wildlife Commission states that the destruction of bottom dwelling animals, the risks posed by fine particulate matter, and the lack of holes and small openings can have a significant adverse effect on local wildlife.
In this one region we can see multiple examples of the hazards of mining on the local ecosystem. While the materials gained from mining are important to human life, this need must be balanced with consideration of the environmental impacts. Wanton disregard for the environment can and has left lasting damage that, when considered, outweigh the additional costs of ecologically responsible practices.
It's interesting to consider that humans live for a relatively long amount of time, yet some of the decisions we make have so little regard for the future, that we might as well be fruit-flies. Our culture ingrains upon us such a lust for immediate material wealth that we seem to forget the potential for a net loss in the future. I agree that mines are really good for a town's *economy*, but that economic boost is lost by the taxes we have to pay that provide for environmental cleanup, both in the town in question and in other places. Another way to word that is while the mine is really helpful for the people employed to work in it, eventually somebody needs to pay for the cleanup of said mine (if it's handled poorly). If every industrial project in the United States required a life-cycle assessment of the processes involved in it in order to maximize the *true* total efficiency, I think we could avoid harming the environment and be more wealthy too . But what I just described sounds like it would exist in a Utopian society, so what do I know?
ReplyDeleteSince the environment, wildlife, humans and industry are all connected and affect one another, usually negatively, we need to be conscious of the consequences of every action we do as humans. As you said, the damage is done but there needs to be a balance and justice done to the environment, just like Torch Lake.
ReplyDeleteIt is true that the mining wastes are leaching into the lakes in the area, including Lake Superior, and that this is affecting the ecosystems. This has been the case for mining areas across the world and has been causing problems for people beginning as soon as the first industrial mining processes started. Farmers were suffering because of the polluted water, and this was much worse than what was happening here in the Keweenaw. We did not have the large farms like they had in the west and the people here were living off of the mines and the industry and not off of the lands (apart from the family gardens). When we think about the overall pollution from area to area, the Keweenaw is much better off than others, but we still need to put in the effort to clean up our lands and keep them among the most beautiful in the country.
ReplyDeleteHopefully, by now, politicians and companies have learned the lesson that they need to think about the future before altering the environment. It is definitely easier and less costly to simply not pollute than to clean up afterward. If environmental consideration becomes a part of more people's education and experience, this may become more common.
ReplyDelete