Press Release: Copperwood Funding in the House Budget

August 28, 2025

Marquette, MI – On Tuesday, the Michigan House GOP introduced and promptly passed a budget that, while claiming to cut out waste, fraud, and abuse from the state’s spending, includes a massive $50 million handout to fund infrastructure for the controversial Copperwood Mine in Gogebic County.

Copperwood is a proposed copper sulfide mine being pushed by Highland Copper, a Canadian company that has never operated a mine before. The proposed mine’s average ore grade of 1.5% would leave over 30 million tons of toxic mine waste perched precariously within 2 miles of Lake Superior, and within a stone’s throw of beloved Porcupine Mountains State Park and the North Country Trail.

“For a budget claiming to eliminate fraud, waste, and abuse from our state’s spending, the inclusion of $50 million to advance the Copperwood Mine is a slap in the face to Michiganders and our legislative system,” said Jane Fitkin, Marquette resident and Director of Citizens for a Safe & Clean Lake Superior. “If this project is to move forward, it must be on the shoulders of private investors as every other Michigan mine has done, not footed by our taxpayers.”

“Funding the infrastructure to accelerate an inexperienced Canadian company’s first ever mine at the worst spot imaginable is neither Pure nor Michigan,” said Tom Grotewohl, Wakefield Township resident and founder of Protect the Porkies. “Make no mistake, this funding request is identical in purpose to the $50 million Michigan Strategic Fund-approved SOAR grant twice halted last year due to pushback from around the state and nation. Considering Speaker Matt Hall’s commitment to transparency, it’s surprising that he and his colleagues would include a corporate welfare handout thinly veiled as a community infrastructure grant to Wakefield Township.”

Meanwhile, the US Geological Survey released a new draft critical minerals list on Monday, which includes refined copper as a critical mineral. However, this is not the type of copper which would be produced by Copperwood. The Copperwood Mine would produce at a low, non-saleable ore grade considered by the USGS to be “mined” copper. They plan to ship that ore to Canada or further to be smelted into “refined” copper, with no guarantee of its return to the United States, let alone Michigan. “Mined” copper, like that proposed to be produced by Copperwood, is considered to be at a “negative” risk of supply shortages.

Now that a version of the budget has been passed by the House, negotiations are ongoing between House and Senate leadership to agree on a final budget before the October 1 deadline forces a government shutdown. It’s up to them to stand with the people of Michigan and reject the Copperwood Mine.

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Contact:

Jane Fitkin, Citizens for a Safe & Clean Lake Superior  

jane@citizensforsuperior.org 

Tom Grotewohl, Protect the Porkies

protecttheporkies@gmail.com