Save the Wild UP, a Marquette, Michigan-based organization that has taken a central role in the fight against sulfide mining in Michigan's Upper Peninsula, has responded to a recent repor declaring that the Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) did not intentionally withhold documents from the public. A press release issued by Save the Wild UP titled "MDEQ Bungles Investigation," made harsh criticisms of an investigation that failed to interview people outside the DEQ and reached contradictory conclusions when it called for the reinstatement of a DEQ official at the center of the probe:
"This report showcases MDEQ's frightening inability to administer a technically complicated application for a risky mine. The author paints a picture of a lower level staff person with inadequate training and time, who steps in to 'take on' responsibilities without the authorization or active supervision of his superiors. In summary, DEQ's investigator, having noted this employee's questionable judgment, suggests he be reinstated as head of the Mining Review Team. As the first sulfide mining application under new laws, this precedent setting application is just too important to be bungled by the MDEQ."
Dick Huey, a spokesperson for Save the Wild UP, called for the DEQ to keep John Maki from being returned to his job overseeing the mine permit. Michelle Halley, an attorney for the National Wildlife Federation, pointed out that Maki once described the mine as "his baby," raising serious questions about his ability to be an impartial official responsible for overseeing the permit application.
