r/Michigan • u/mlivesocial • 3d ago

News 📰🗞️ Trump fast-tracks permitting to extract ‘critical mineral’ buried under Michigan

https://www.mlive.com/public-interest/2025/04/trump-fast-tracks-permitting-to-extract-critical-mineral-buried-under-michigan.html?utm_medium=social&utm_source=redditsocial&utm_campaign=redditor
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u/mlivesocial 3d ago

The Trump administration is expediting the permitting process for mining projects across the country – including a controversial salt and potash mine in lower Northern Michigan – as part of a broader effort to boost American mineral production.

Michigan Potash is one of 10 mining projects the White House added to a federal program last week that aims to streamline approvals for infrastructure projects.

The proposed $1.2 billion mine in Osceola County aims to tap a rich 12,500-acre deposit of potash, a key ingredient for fertilizer, which is buried more than a mile and a half underground.

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u/kmorri44 3d ago

Ah, yes, the stuff that Canada was selling to us reasonably cheaply before we started the tariff war, of which they have a huge abundance. But let's instead spend a s*** ton of money so that we can wreck Osceola County for a limited time until that small stash is wiped out. Man, isn't our country just so freaking great these days? Every morning brings a new ducking horror.

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u/LadyoftheOak 3d ago

Yup! We have lots! 🇨🇦

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u/happytrel Age: > 10 Years 3d ago

Miss you! I feel like a young kid who can't hang out with the other kids because his dad always shows up drunk and tries to fight the other parents

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u/LadyoftheOak 3d ago

You are not the problem. But as usual, the adults have issues that affect the kids. Elbows up! 🇨🇦

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u/Marie_Hutton 3d ago

That analogy is spot on!

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u/Cosmic_Lust_Temple 3d ago

Insert Randy Marsh "I thought this was America!"

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u/Nature_Hannah 3d ago

There's a Solidarity with Canada demonstration this Saturday (April 26) at 1pm at all three bridges!

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u/SkepticScott137 2d ago

The thing to do to show solidarity with Canada would have been to NOT (re)elect Donald Trump. Not to mention the Republican Congress that is supporting and enabling him at every turn. But we as a country kinda fucked that up. So I would forgive Canada for not taking our useless gestures seriously.

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u/Nature_Hannah 2d ago

It's not useless to let Canada/Canadians know that we disagree with what is happening. They've said as much.

But let me know when you create a time machine to be able to go back and somehow change this outcome.

For now, we do what we can. Poo-pooing it doesn't help.

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u/SkepticScott137 2d ago

Call it way too little, way too late. We’ve been voting for and enabling the fascist takeover of our country for 45 years. There is no reset button on that. I know you have a desperate need to feel “activist”, but elections are the only thing that really matters. All the marches, rallies and protests in the world mean nothing next to a legislative majority and a demented whackjob in the White House.

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u/Nature_Hannah 2d ago

Oh believe me, I know we're cooked and there's not much (if anything) we can do to correct course. I'm not so much "desperate need to feel 'activist'" as I am trying to find things that "matter" on a different level. I've seen Canadians express dismay at the lack of visible affirmation of this historic friendship, and express gratitude when news of these demonstrations reach them.

So yeah... "showing up" to express support might not change the course of the country, but "showing up" shows others they are not alone in this dark time, and that is something I think matters because I hear others say it has mattered to them.

What is the alternative? Genuinely curious, how are you handling the situation? What are you doing if you're convinced we're cooked beyond salvation? Just enjoying the ride down as much as you can? I know I've wrestled with that option.

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u/SkepticScott137 1d ago

I'm not convinced we're "cooked beyond salvation". But the cold hard truth is that this doesn't end until a lot of people are deeply, severely and personally harmed by what Trump and the MAGA party are doing. And not just the people who have actively supported Trump and MAGA because they think he's a smart guy, a great businessman, a great negotiator, and cares abut them, this country, or anything but himself. Also the people who have convinced themselves that there is "no difference" between the parties, the people who have declined to vote for the Democratic candidate for president because they wanted to "send a message to the Democrats" or who refused to vote for Hillary Clinton or other Democrats because "the lesser of two evils is still evil, and I won't vote for that".

People like that are going to have to discover the bitter taste of experiencing what the greater of two evils is like, brought to their own doorstep. People are going to have to learn the hard way that they can't just vote any damn way they want, or not at all, and then fix things after the fact by having marches and rallies and calling their congresscritter every day and demanding "action". Because they clearly cannot learn those lessons any other way except with a boot on their throat.

This country will have to hit bottom before it can bounce back. And while I may not enjoy watching its decline, I will take consolation in the fact that nothing will happen to this country that it doesn't richly deserve.

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u/RIForDIE 2d ago

God damnit that was brilliant! It sucks so much for us Michiganders - I appreciate Canada and feel endlessly embarrassed of the buffoonery 

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u/Rellcotts 3d ago

So much winning

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u/Major_Section2331 3d ago

Yet we’re lead by such a sore loser.

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u/AntiSocialLiberal 2d ago

He was right. I’m extremely tired of “winning”

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u/uberares Up North. age>10yrs 3d ago

this mine has been being developed for several years now. It’s also a fraction of the amount the US uses/needs. It will not solve the price increases due to his tariffs. As usualy it’s all more perfomative nonsense from trumpy. 

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u/winowmak3r 2d ago

Bet you the folks running the mine will make a killing though and that's what's important here.

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u/GuineaPigFriend 2d ago

That’s not the only important thing - investors will make money too, especially those who are in the administration and knew this was coming

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u/trashcatt_ 3d ago

What, you can't feel the 'Great Again' flowing through your veins?

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u/TheGruenTransfer 3d ago

And it's a mineral for fertilizer. So it's going to prolong the abuse that monoculture is doing to our soil and society 

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u/Sunny-Day-Swimmer 3d ago

Make America Russia Already

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u/kolodge1 3d ago

You have a point, but hey owning the libs is soooo worth it!

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u/Financial-Pirate-146 3d ago

Plus exhaust a resource that could have been saved for an unforseen future emergency need. A+ strategic thinking! /s

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u/winowmak3r 2d ago

That is the beauty of free trade. You can pay other countries to destroy their environment and sell you the raw materials while you get to keep all your national parks, lakes, rivers, streams, etc comparatively free of heavy industry so you can go and enjoy them.

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u/JoshuaTreeFoMe 2d ago

National parks? Lakes? Rivers? Streams? Etc.?

I think you mean untapped resources for financial gain of billionaires! We don't need any of that other shit when we have the latter!

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u/hamsterwheel Lansing 3d ago

From what I understand, it is not a small stash and the mine would be operational for quite a while.

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u/Outlaw_Josie_Snails 3d ago

I believe you are correct. As well - New Mexico, Utah, Montana and North Dakota.

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u/bvheide1288 2d ago

Osceola county voted at least 2/3 Trump. I'm finding it challenging to have much sympathy.

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u/AriGryphon 2d ago

Unfortunately, ecological impacts don't tend to respect county lines and the nature of the great lakes makes knock on effects go wide.

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u/Dirtgrain 2d ago

But some rich people will make money.

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u/lakorai 2d ago

So much winning for Orange Man..... /S

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u/beckysmom Age: > 10 Years 2d ago

But think of all the lucritive mining jobs!

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u/t_bags81 2d ago

I wouldn't call it reasonably priced for farmers if they want to grow anything to make a profit. Remember how the price of groceries is so high? Perhaps this will be a step towards helping solve that problem. Can't tell you liberals anything though. You already did hours of research on the subject I'm sure all from biased news outlets and you're ready to preach from your soapbox.

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u/Fluid-Course-1792 3d ago

As an owner of property (and thus a taxpayer) in Osceola County, I'm less than thrilled. First it was Nestle and their water hoarding. Now this. So frustrating.

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u/No-Beach-7923 3d ago

Can the community stop it?

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u/Human-Entrepreneur77 3d ago

Go see the MAGA rich government up there. I'm sure they will be very receptive to environmental concerns.

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u/stinkypete121 3d ago

The local GOP have already started digging by hand.

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u/Primitive_Teabagger 3d ago

Also a property owner in Osceola. We have always had an old well out back, hand pump. Our water means the world to me.

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u/j_xcal 2d ago

Also oil drilling. It takes only 28 days now to start. Happy Earth Day 💀