Four Michigan environmental groups active in the effort to stop the proposed Eagle Project sulfide mine in Michigan today called for the removal of Hal Fitch, the head of the Geological Survey Division at the Michigan Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ). In a press release issued jointly by Save the Wild UP, the Mackinac Chapter of the Sierra Club, the Michigan Environmental Council, and the Michigan League of Controversial Voters Fund, discussing revelations that two key reports were excluded from the DEQ's evaluation and publicly released report the organizations wrote that:

Whether or not this inexcusable breach of trust was done with Mr. Fitch's knowledge is beside the point... It is symptomatic of a relationship Mr. Fitch and his subordinates have with Kennecott that is compromising their ability to make objective decisions regarding this application. It has seemed from Day One that the regulators were acting more as an arm of Kennecott Minerals than the public watchdogs they are supposed to be. We have confidence that Gov. Granholm and MDEQ Director Steve Chester will find a replacement whose integrity and impartiality is beyond reproach.

In addition to calling for the removal of Hal Fitch, the organizations called for the application process to start over with the new leadership. The press release also stated that there is an ongoing investigation at the DEQ into whether or not Kennecott was given a copy of the report prior to its release.