SAXON - The Iron County Sheriff’s Office reports that at approximately 10AM yesterday morning, a parked, unoccupied semi-truck rolled into an open excavation site associated with a Line 5 valve project near Sitan Road in the Town of Saxon. The truck struck the pipeline, resulting in the release of natural gas liquids (NGLs). Video showed a large white cloud coming from the rupture encompassing the entire work site. No injuries have been reported. As a precaution, nearby homes were evacuated. The affected section of pipeline has been isolated, and local emergency responders and haz-mat teams are on site. Sitan Road is closed until further notice to allow emergency crews to safely respond. A temporary no-fly zone has also been established in the area. Due to safety concerns, power in the affected area has been shut down, and arrangements are being made to assist those affected by the temporary power outage. The public is asked to avoid the area and follow instructions from emergency personnel. NGLs are hydrocarbons—including ethane, propane, butane, isobutane, and natural gasoline—that are separated from natural gas during processing. They are used as fuels and as feedstocks in the production of products such as plastics, medical supplies, electronics, clothing, and fertilizers.
Local News - 7am |- 8am - 12pm
sports - 8:20am |- 12:20pm
weather - top - bottom - each hour
GOGEBIC COUNTY - The Michigan Strategic Fund Board approving a request for funding that will support the Copperwood Mine project in Gogebic County. Yesterday at a special meeting a resolution was passed to approve a Strategic Site Readiness Program Grant in the amount of just under $45 million dollars to Copperwood Resources Inc. and just over $5 million to the Gogebic County Road Commission be used to support site readiness projects for the proposed mine. The same amount of money was previously requested as part of the Fiscal Year 2025 State Budget, requested by Wakefield Township. That Funding, however, was not approved. The group Protect the Porkies reacted by saying “The Michigan Strategic Fund has steamrolled over the clear will of the people and prostituted themselves to a foreign-owned destructive industry. They have desecrated the Pure Michigan brand and will be remembered by future generations as traitors, It’s time to escalate.” The group says they plans to set up encampments next to the mine site this weekend and over the next few weekends.
GOGEBIC COUNTY - A new coalition of more than 130 Upper Peninsula leaders, labor unions, businesses and residents has launched “Our U.P., Our Future,” focused on creating jobs while protecting natural resources. All six U.P. state legislators are part of the coalition. The group supports responsible economic development, including the fully permitted Copperwood mine, which is expected to create hundreds of good-paying jobs in the Western U.P. The coalition says new investment is needed to keep families in the region and strengthen local communities.
LOCAL NEWS
