Judge rules that DNR lease of land was legal.
TRAVERSE CITY -- A downstate judge has upheld the Department of Natural Resources' decision to lease 120 acres to Kennecott Minerals for its proposed nickel and copper mine on the Yellow Dog Plains of Marquette County.
Opponents of the mine had challenged the decision, claiming the DNR exceeded its authority and violated the law. Ingham County Circuit Judge Paula Manderfield ruled that no law had been broken. However, Kennecott still faces obstacles in its tortuous path to build the controversial mine.
Permits for mining and water that were granted by the Department of Environmental Quality are being contested. An administrative law judge is now considering the matter.
The federal Environmental Protection Agency still has to grant Kennecott a permit. Even if the permits are granted, opponents of the mine have promised to appeal the issue to the court system.
Beyond that, Rio Tinto, the parent company of Kennecott, recently announced that even if approval for the mine is granted, it's delaying construction of the mine because of declining market conditions.
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