Federal Judge Hears Oral Arguments In Back Forty Mine Case

Wisconsin’s Menominee Tribe Wants Permitting Done By Federal Government, Not Michigan

A federal judge heard arguments Wednesday on who should have permitting authority over a proposed mine in Michigan`s Upper Peninsula.

Wisconsin`s Menominee Tribe of Indians made oral arguments Wednesday that permitting for the "Back Forty" mine should be in federal hands, not the state of Michigan`s.

According to the tribe, the mine is on its ancestral lands. 

The case is being heard in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Wisconsin in Green Bay.

The zinc and gold open pit mine would be located near the Menominee River which forms part of the border between Wisconsin and Michigan. The Menominee tribe worries mining will degrade the waters and burial sites...