http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&q=problems+with+kennecott+mines&btnG=Search

Jason, how exactly did you come to the conclusion that future mines will result in thousands of people having their homes torn down? How many homes will be torn down because of Eagle? How many homes are in the vicinity or the current exploration targets in Michigan?
Do you really think the Michigan economy is in trouble because of the way mineral rights work? Funny, I've yet to hear an economist say, if only Michigan would improve their mineral rights laws they could fix their economy.
As for third world countries occupying our land, specifically China, do you have any current examples of Chinese or other third world nations doing mining or exploration in Michigan?
All I see reading your post is another desperate attempt to justify stopping this mine and any future mining.

I wish the public in general would file a class action lawsuit against Kencott and other mining companies trying to destroy the land in the UP. What bothers me about this is that should mining expand, there are thousands of land owners across the UP who will be forced to watch their homes and trees torn down. According to state law, no citizen who holds land can prevent a person who owns the mineral rights to that land from entering and working. They must pay for the damage they cause, but you figure who is really cashing in? The land owner who might see $30,000 for their land to be destroyed, or a mining company who will extract $15,000,000 from that parcel? Either you should own the land or you do not, and this method of breaking down land ownership between water rights, timber rights, surface area rights, and mineral rights is the dumbest example of how the economics in this state work, and why it's such a mess. Turn over the mineral rights to the citizens that thought they "bought" the land and let them start their own businesses. This country thrives on small business and innovation, not signing away our right to occupy our own land to some third world country like China.

I'm sick and tired of people in this country suing all the time when they don't get their way. After how many long years of hearings, meetings, protests, complaints, new laws, and so on, these whiny complainers lost their battle and Kennecott was granted its permits from the DEQ.

Now, instead of agreeing to disagree and working within the democratic process, these people have got to file suit and jam our courts with more unecessary cases! It's pathetic.