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		Letter to the Editor February 6, 2002 Letter © 2002 Michael LaBeau, Published with Permission Photo © 2001 Keweenaw Now

Residents fight uphill battle to protect Lake Superior

By Michael LaBeau

RICHMOND, VA. -- I would like to address the recently proposed increase on wastewater discharge by Black Bear, Inc. in Lac La Belle, MI. As a local resident for the last 10 years of my life (I now reside in Virginia) I have watched Black Bear come in and largely impact the residents of the Keweenaw Peninsula with the Mt. Bohemia project. I attended the public discussions on the actual hill and watched the battle between capital interest and citizens concerned about the quality of life in the Keweenaw. Even though a majority of the people at the meetings did not support the project, it went through as if the public concern and commentary were merely staged, since the blasting of the rock and the cutting of the runs were  already in progress.

Now as residents face a new challenge from Black Bear, they are fighting an uphill battle against the power of capitalism. Lake Superior is an irreplaceable resource. As people realize they are running out of raw materials and personal space because of the American Greed, in order to maintain quality of life in other parts of the United States -- such as Florida, Arizona and even lower Michigan -- they must import or exploit from non-exhausted sources. Lake Superior is one of those non-exhausted resources. Even as the value of such a resource is on the rise because it is on the chopping block of supply and demand, one would think proposals to increase phosphorous discharge or any discharge for that matter would be hotly contested. There are many residents whose livelihood depends on the water quality of the lake. These are  tourism-based industries just like Black Bear's.

This file photo taken from Mt. Bohemia shows Lac La Belle, which connects to Lake Superior. A septic system built for the Mt. Bohemia ski hill near Lac La Belle awaits a Department of Environmental Quality permit allowing an increase in phosphorous discharge from the system. (Keweenaw Now file photo)

We should automatically assume that Lake Superior water quality would be lowered by increased phosphorous discharge. The antidegradation statements and demonstrations should be staged and thoroughly addressed before pushing through additional discharge permits. Franchising has pushed America into the "I want it now" drive-through nation, where money is made and repercussions of such actions are addressed after the fact. What is the hurry? All we stand to lose is everything.

The antidegradation requirement is stated thus: "The applicant shall identify social and economic development and the benefits to the area in which the waters are located that would be forgone if the new or increased loading of pollutants is not allowed." Any value of financial gains for the community identified by Black Bear in response to this statement should be discounted greatly in the face of losing the quality of Lake Superior that would be forgone if new discharge were granted! The statement "The only tools we have to protect resources are the laws on the books" may be true in this age of conscious-less money-grabbers, but maybe not if everyone cared a little more.

The attention given to this issue in such a small and absolutely unique area of the world should be "very much above and beyond what we usually do" to quote Mr. Corner (see Editor's notes).  Maybe the Keweenaw Peninsula can be saved from the senseless exploitation and exhaustion of natural resources I see every day here on the East Coast. Will we see stickers like the ones from Chesapeake -- "Save The Bay" -- for Lac La Belle? I hope not. Small actions like the denial of this permit may lead to a more positive outlook for the Keweenaw. Lets save the Third Coast from such a scripted demise!

Sincerely,

Michael LaBeau

Editor's notes: Mr. LaBeau refers here to a statement made by Rich Corner, environmental quality analyst for DEQ Surface Water Quality Division in Marquette. See the Dec. 11, 2001, article, "Black Bear awaits DEQ septic permit." Michael LaBeau is a graduate of Michigan Technological University. He now resides in Richmond, Va., but often visits the Keweenaw and plans to return here. He is an avid camper, hiker and skier. "But most of all I love the Lake!" he says.

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