Menominee Tribe Files Federal Lawsuit Over Proposed Back Forty Mine

The Menominee Indian Tribe of Wisconsin is suing the U-S Environmental Protection Agency over the Back Forty Mine Project. The tribe filed the lawsuit today (Monday) that accuses the E-P-A and the U-S Army Corps of Engineers of failing to comply with the Clean Water Act. Television station W-B-A-Y reports that the proposed mine site is just across the Wisconsin border in the Upper Peninsula, along the bank of the Menominee River. Aquila Resources wants to construct an open pit sulfide mine for gold and zinc. The tribe says runoff from the mine could harm fish, vegetation, and water quality. The tribe also says the land is critical to its culture and history. The tribe’s lawsuit deals with the government allowing the state of Michigan jurisdiction over the river. The tribe says the Menominee River is used for interstate commerce and should be under federal control.