Environmentalists Press EPA For Greater Oversight Of Great Lakes Mining

摘要

Environmentalists are urging greater EPA oversight of a host of new mining projects in the Great Lakes region, outlining their concerns during a series of four meetings Aug. 20-21 in Chicago hosted by Region V Administrator Susan Hedman and also attended by industry, tribal representatives and regulators from Michigan, Minnesota and Wisconsin. The meetings were an effort to "talk through the issues" raised by an increase in mining permit applications in the region, according to an EPA Region V spokeswoman. "Since there is so much new exploration and newly proposed mining projects [in the region], we thought it would be timely and useful to bring together" the various stakeholders, the spokeswoman says. The meetings' focus was on "federal, state and tribal roles and responsibilities, as well as the applicable statutes."