Slotkin joins local, state and federal leaders in supporting a once-in-a-generation opportunity for the Western U.P.
MARQUETTE, Mich. — Senator Elissa Slotkin (D-MI) joins leaders across party lines in voicing support for the Copperwood Project, as highlighted in an exclusive interview with The Mining Gazette. Her backing demonstrates the bipartisan support the project has at the local, state and federal levels for the once-in-a-generation opportunity to bring economic growth to the Western Upper Peninsula without compromising the environment.
Slotkin praised the approach taken by State Rep. Greg Markkanen (R-Hancock), who led a budget proposal that invests $50 million in local infrastructure in Wakefield Township. The investment will upgrade roads, power and telecommunications projects that will serve families and businesses and attract much-needed jobs and opportunities to the region.
“I’m a firm believer that people need good-paying jobs, with good benefits,” said Senator Slotkin. “And in the western Upper Peninsula, where poverty rates are higher than average, the project has a real potential to be a game changer in that part of the state. Three hundred and eighty full-time jobs with an average salary $100,000 a year; $24 million a year in taxes for better schools, better roads, law enforcement, and infrastructure.”
Slotkin also addressed environmental concerns, saying she has confidence in the environmental standards established by the state of Michigan, which has some of the most stringent mining regulations in the nation. The Copperwood project is one of very few fully permitted greenfield copper mines in the United States. Copperwood will not mine under Porcupine State Park or draw water from Lake Superior. It has been rigorously designed to protect against any damage to Lake Superior and nearby waterways.
“The state has immediate shutdown authority if there is an environmental threat. There are big penalties for violations that endanger public health,” said Senator Slotkin. “No one wants to hurt the environment, but I can’t turn away from a bunch of good-paying jobs and real economic development for the area.”
Senator Slotkin joins Governor Gretchen Whitmer, Lt. Governor Garlin Gilchrist, Congressman Jack Bergman, all four Upper Peninsula legislators—Senator McBroom, Rep. Prestin, Rep. Bohnak and Rep Markkanen—and the Upper Peninsula Collaborative Development Council, a group of all 22 economic development organizations in the region, in voicing their support for the Copperwood Project.
Additionally, twenty-one units of government, ranging from townships to county boards, have issued multiple resolutions of support, nearly ten local institutions have submitted letters of support and dozens of community leaders and elected officials have spoken publicly in support of the Copperwood Project.
To learn more about the Copperwood Project, please visit www.copperwoodproject.com.
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