About
Greenwash Film, LLC is a documentary film about the Menominee River and the proposed open pit sulfide mine that is trying to be built next to it. It is in the final stages of filming and production.
A Brief description of the mining threat
Gold mines pollute! 100% of sulfide-bound minerals mines pollute, forever more, and catastrophically pollute when their dams burst, on average, at least once a year globally.
A mine (target minerals are: gold, silver, copper, zinc, nickel, etc.) is proposed in the “massive sulfide” ore body, on the Menominee River which flows into Great Lake Michigan.
Every mine dug in sulfide rock naturally generates Sulfuric Acid! It’s unpreventable. This sulfuric acid causes problems.
Mining wastes called tailings (concentrated lead, mercury, arsenic, manganese, millions of gallons of cyanide, etc.) are stored onsite, in earthen dams forevermore. No concrete, no steel support these mounded “dam” structures, just bulldozed earth. When these tailings dams burst, it is a catastrophe. A mine’s catastrophic tailings dam failure in 2015 caused lethal toxins to flow 300 miles, reaching the Atlantic Ocean, turning it opaque orange. One here could pollute Lake Michigan, east into Lake Huron and as far south as Chicago. That not only risks two Great Lakes, it will destroy Michigan’s economy.
The mining industry creates lots of propaganda about how great mining is for any community, but that is absolutely false. There has NEVER in the history of Earth, ever been such a “sulfide” mine that has not polluted. To Greenwash is the new term for deceptive marketing, making something horrible seem like it would be good for the planet.
Learn the facts about these mines and how Michigan’s Legislature can prevent this devastation. There are two first steps. One is enacting a “Prove it First” law that mandates any mining company first proves such a mine has operated for 10 years, and been ‘reclaimed’ (closed) for 10 years and still has not polluted. If that ever happens, then Michigan may consider granting permits for mining.
Other ways to try to prevent some of these catastrophes are to prohibit the “upstream” type tailings dam construction, and to mandate “Polluter Pays” in Michigan’s mining law “Part 632”.
YOU can help too, in many ways. See “Take Action” tab above.