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MARQUETTE -- Construction of Kennecott Minerals’ nickel and copper mine in Marquette County is still on hold.  The company received three permits from the Department of Environmental Quality, but they're still waiting for two Department of Natural Resources permits.

Even if they do eventually get the approvals from the DNR, Kennecott still doesn't have a green light from the federal government.

A U.S. Environmental Protection Agency official says Kennecott still needs a federal underground injection control permit.  That looks at how the company will treat wastewater coming out of their mine.

"As part of the mine design, we'll have a water treatment plant,” Kennecott Project Manager Jon Cherry said.  “That water treatment plant will treat any water that comes into contact with any rock that comes from the mine site."

Kennecott says it will treat water from the mine and convert it to drinking level standards and then release it into the ground.

The EPA permit is similar to the Michigan DEQ's ground water discharge permit, which Kennecott already has.  And because it's similar, Kennecott officials had hoped to begin construction before the EPA permit was approved.

"They have received approval from the state for the underground disposal for wastewater in the drain field under state law,” EPA Geologist Ross Micham said.  “They do not have the approval under the federal law to do that."

EPA received the permit application in April of last year, and they say they're still reviewing the technical aspects of the application.

Michelle Halley with the National Wildlife Federation doubts that Kennecott's proposed wastewater treatment will be effective.

"I don't believe the company should get the permit from the EPA because of the risk of contamination for both ground water and then that ground water moving to surface water,” Halley said, “and then you have contaminated ground water and surface water."

If the EPA does grant the permit, it would only be a draft permit, and the agency would still have to hold a public hearing in the area.  They hope to have a decision sometime in the Spring.