Eagle mine project

The Eagle mine project is a proposed nickel and copper mine by Kennecott Minerals Corporation, a subsidiary of Rio Tinto. The company is currently considering opening mine on the Yellow Dog Plains in Michigan's Upper Peninsula (U.S.). Nickel and copper are the metals to be mined, but cobalt, platinum, palladium and gold will also be recovered as by-products. [cite web
title=Information about the Kennecott Eagle Project
url=http://www.mine-or-ours.info/eagle.html
format = HTML
accessdate=2007-07-30 ]

Overview

Eagle would be a decline-accessed underground mine, primarily utilizing blast hole stopes for production. Lately, interest in the project both locally and state wide has increased due to the submission of a mining permit application for the project. The project has garnered local opposition as well as support. The opposition groups claim that the mine will produce environmental damage, while supporters and the company claim the mine will protect the environment while producing much-needed jobs.

Construction and excavation is expected to start in 2008, with production beginning in late 2009. The surface plant for the mine will cover less than 100 acres, and ore processing will be done off site. The mine will be backfilled as mining progresses. Mining the underground orebody is projected to continue until 2016, after which the surface facilities will be removed and the site will be reclaimed.

The ore deposit contains 4.1 million tonnes of rock containing 3.6 percent nickel and 2.9 percent copper. Reserves are estimated as up to 140 thousand tonnes of nickel and 91 thousand tonnes of copper, as well as platinum, palladium, and cobalt. ["First primary nickel mine in U.S. moves forward," "Mining Engineering", Jan. 2008, p.16.]

Permitting

On July 30 2007 the Michigan Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) re-issued preliminary approval for the mining permit. The permit was initially approved in January 2007, however it was found that the DEQ failed to release documents relating to the crown pillar of the mine. As a result the preliminary approval was withdrawn and the permit process was put on hold until the issue could be further investigated. The resulting investigation cleared the DEQ of any wrong doing and the consideration of the permit application was able to proceed.

On December 14, 2007, the DEQ announced that it would issue permits for mining to take place at the Eagle project. DEQ Director Steven Chester said: "In the end, Kennecott's proposal met the high standard set by Michigan's environmental laws." [http://www.michigan.gov/documents/deq/deq-exe-KEP-PressRelease121407_218609_7.pdf]

ee also

*Acid mine drainage
*Copper mining in Michigan
*Hard rock mining
*Sulfide mining

References

External links

* [http://www.eagle-project.com/ Kennecott Minerals: "Eagle Project"]
* [http://www.savethewildup.org/ Save the Wild UP]
* [http://www.michigan.gov/deq/0,1607,7-135-3311_4111_18442-130551--,00.html Michigan Dept. of Environmental Quality: "Kennecott Eagle Project"]