Precious Metals Mining - There is a better way

My husband and I attended the Save the Boundary Waters presentation on sulfide mining at Vermilion Community College. It was a nice slide presentation of the layout of the area, depicting the Boundary Waters, what makes it special, the watershed, the mineral deposits, the aquatic and forest ecology, etc. Many of us who support the proposed copper/nickel mining projects have heard similar presentation several times before by Becky Rom and her friends.

What was different this time, before a group of about 100 people, was that the question period was literally shut down by Rom at 7:30 after two questions. Was she intimidated by the dozen or so supporters of mining projects and what questions they would ask? I talked to Dave Marshall who schedules events at Vermilion and he said the theater was booked until 9:30.

Bill Erzar asked about the sulfide content of the ore body of Twin Metals. Rom said she didn’t know the number, yet she knew the copper content is 5%. Erzar asked isn’t the sulfide content an important number to know. Rom said it was in their reports.

The next question was asked by Warren Johnson about misleading people by saying all the ground moved would have sulfide content. This is when Brad Sagen stepped in to explain that all the waste rock would not have sulfide content, and he ran out the clock for questions.

Rom pulled a Hillary: Avoid further questioning, and shut down the show.

Questionable statements made in the presentation included: “Sulfide mining has never been done without harm to the environment.... Sulfide mining is always toxic.... All our trees will be black spruce with mining.”

Well, with research and cut and pasting from various websites, here is some information on safe sulfide mining that is being done around the United States. I believe Minnesota can mine just as safely, if not more safely.

The Henderson Mine and Mill near Denver, Colorado. A molybdenum sulfide mine and mill have maintained a spotless environmental compliance record since 1976. Denver residents regularly use areas adjacent to the mine and mill sites for fishing, camping, picnicking, hunting, hiking, skiing and snowmobiling. Treated wastewater from the operation supports a thriving population of Boreal toads. Streams downstream from both the mine and mill facilities are excellent brown and brook trout fisheries. Both the mine and the mill are located in Denver’s watershed.

The Viburnum Mine No. 27 is developed in geology similar to that found in southwestern Wisconsin’s lead-zinc mining district, the water from this lead-zinc sulfide mine, which operated from 1960 to 1978, is so clean it has served as the primary domestic water source for the town of Viburnum, Missouri since 1981.

The McLaughlin Mine is a gold mine acknowledged by regulators, environmentalists and the mining industry to be a model of effective environmental practice. Since its development in 1985, the mine has operated without environmental harm, and has not only protected but actually enhanced the quality of both on-site and downstream habitats and improved downstream water quality. Ultimately the entire mine site and attached buffer lands of thousands of acres will become a wildlife preserve and an environmental studies field research station for the University of California.

The Cannon Mine is a gold mine that was developed in 1985, one block south of the Wenatchee, Washington, city limits. This agricultural community of approximately 40,000, is known as “the apple capital of the world.” The Cannon Mine is a model of environmentally responsible mining in an established urban environment. The mine, which operated for nine years, is now in the final stages of reclamation and nearly all traces of this once bustling underground mining and milling project are gone. All of the millsite buildings have been removed, the area regraded and replanted; the mine portal has been plugged; and the tailings management area has been reclaimed and planted with natural grasses.

The local school district has converted the mine buildings into offices and an equipment maintenance facility. As quoted in a July 2, 1996 article entitled “A Promise Kept - Mine Tailings Cleaned Up” in the Wenatchee World, a local official states that the mine has done a good job living up to its promises - “The scale of the (reclamation) work is just amazing. It’s been a good project.”
Southwestern Wisconsin Historic Lead-Zinc District - At least a dozen historic (i.e., closed) mines in the lead-zinc district southwestern Wisconsin and adjacent parts of Iowa and Illinois meet the arbitrary operating and closure criteria.
Mining in this district began as early as 1825, long before the enactment of federal and Wisconsin environmental laws and regulations. Mining in the district continued, with the last zinc mine closing in the late 1970s.

Most of the mines in southwestern Wisconsin were abandoned without formal reclamation; many were simply plowed under and today remain as nearly indiscernible features in the rolling farmlands characteristic of this part of Wisconsin. Although a few isolated and localized water quality problems are known at several mines in the district, there are literally hundreds of historic mines that do not create surface water or groundwater pollution problems.

The ore bodies in this district contain abundant acid-generating iron sulfide minerals (pyrite and marcasite). However, ARD is not a problem in this district due to the high acid neutralization capacity of the carbonate host rocks. A number of communities in the area including Platteville and Dodgeville, Wisconsin; Dubuque, Iowa; and Galena, Illinois and are built on top of and adjacent to these historic mines.

The Flambeau Mine is located in northern Wisconsin, partially within the city limits of Ladysmith and immediately adjacent to the Flambeau River. The open-pit, copper-gold mine began operations in July 1991. Ore shipments from the site began in 1993 and continued for more than four years. Backfilling of the pit took about 1.5 years and reclamation activities at the site were completed by the end of 1999.

Storm water runoff from sulfide waste material and the operating open pit, along with groundwater infiltration into the pit, are treated in a state-of-the-art water treatment facility that produces mine discharge water which has proven safe at 100 percent concentration (i.e., without dilution) for the most sensitive aquatic life and meets state drinking water safety standards. Examinations of fish, crayfish, macro-invertebrates and dragonfly; sediment sampling; and habitat characterization both above and below the mine discharge point prove the mine water has not adversely affected river life. Yes, water monitoring will continue for many years.

City officials credit the mine with creating an economic miracle for the local community of 4,000 people. Tax revenue from the mine stimulated an economic development boom in Rusk County where the unemployment rate fell from 15.3% just prior to the mine opening to 4.0% in October 1996. The Flambeau Mine is one of Rusk County’s top tourist attractions, with over 30,000 people per year visiting the mine’s information center.
How about that! The Flambeau Mine is a tourist attraction!

Closer to home, we have Dunka Pit. The Minnesota DNR has learned from a taconite mine called the Dunka pit. Sulfite rock exposed there in the 1960s was leeching metals into a nearby creek. The state compelled the mining company to build wetlands that now largely absorb the metals. The site has been monitored since 1977 and monitoring will continue.

DNR mining researcher Paul Eger said you can’t just walk away from a closed sulfide mine. “We’ve learned a lot,” Eger said. “New mines can operate with much less maintenance and much less unexpected water quality issues.”

Jim Kuipers, an expert in hard-rock metals mining, said sulfide mining can be done well, with the best chance in a state with mining history like Minnesota. “If we can encourage good mining companies, with good solid deposits to do the right thing, we might actually make some advance in terms of environmental protection, and things like that,” says Kuipers.

Dissolved oxygen tests in Dunka River are very high. That means it is very healthy. That also means the lake is NOT polluted. Some really nice fish coming out of Birch Lake.

Lastly, I want to mention Stillwater Mine. It is in southern Montana in the magnificent Beartooth Mountains on the northern edge of the Absaroka-Beartooth Wilderness, about 30 miles north of Yellowstone National Park. This platinum-palladium sulfide mine is an excellent example of environmentally responsible mining in an extremely beautiful and sensitive environment.

Operating since 1987, the Stillwater Mine has maintained a clean environmental record. This underground mine is recognized by regulators, environmental groups and industry experts for its excellent concurrent reclamation activities, wildlife enhancement projects, community support programs and responsive environmental management.

In addition to its scenic attributes, the area around the mine is also recognized for its recreational opportunities - the mine is adjacent to the Stillwater River, a Montana Blue Ribbon Trout Fishery. Stillwater Mine is in the process of expanding its mine operation a mile east of the Absaroka-Beartooth Wilderness Area on the Custer National Forest in known bear habitat.

In 2000, Stillwater Mining Company and three local environmental groups signed a historic, legally binding agreement called the Good Neighbor Agreement to iron out differences transparently. Applying rigorous environmental practices to the mine’s operations will protect two important Montana watersheds.

In the past ten years, Stillwater Mine has been chosen to receive the Bureau of Land Management’s Sustainable Mining Award twice. Stillwater Mine was nominated by the Boulder River Watershed Association. The recent award is for community outreach and recognizes the economic benefits of mineral development along with contributions to the health and quality of life in local communities.

As president of Conservationists with Common Sense – CWCS, I plan to ask our board to recommend a similar agreement with Twin Metals and PolyMet. Will other environmental groups come to the table and be a partner in such an agreement?

Nancy McReady
Ely

Letter To The Editor: Joe Baltich discussing the BWCA,economy, tourism and mining.

Somebody from the Twin Cities wanted me to sign a petition banning sulfide mining. I couldn't help myself. These tourists need to know the other side of the story:

Geez, Dan. The whole town of Ely is economically collapsing. Last year (2012) 156 people were in the obituary and the New Year's Baby was born on Feb. 10. Resort bookings for May and June were substantially off and I'm pretty sure they will be down for July and August. The anecdotal estimate is that Ely business is OFF by about 25 - 30%. Boundary Waters Canoe Area use is in fairly steep decline. I should know, I've been an outfitter and resorter for my entire life in Ely. The parking lots at the entry points were rarely full, most seeing 25% occupancy for the majority of summer.

   As America ages, nobody wants to come and sleep on a rock only to be restricted to paddling a canoe. They want to jump in a boat/snomobile and go fishing without having the government breathing down their necks requiring permits, allowing dog sleds but not motors, no cans or bottles but 2 liter plastic bottles are OK. However, burning plastic is illegal. It is illegal to leave the BWCA to go shopping in Ely because it voids one's permit. These are only a smattering of the rules that the vast majority of twin cities tourists can't even get right so they laughably remain in constant violation of the laws they support so strongly. When they come from out of state, it's even harder to get them to comply.

    So, Ely is slipping. Everything is for sale and nobody's buying. A liquor store that was successful since the early 70's has been up for sale for 5 years now. Nobody is even looking at the building. Another liquor store has the same story. A restaurant has been sitting empty for years on end, rotting, because no one will buy it. Back when the mines where humming along in the 60's and 70's it, too, was a successful business.

    The first decline for Ely began in 1964 when the government closed 17 resorts under eminent domain. The mines were still running at full speed then so it was harder to notice. When the so-called "wilderness goldmine" came to be (final, most restrictive phase of the Boundary Waters law PL 95-495 in 1978), we began to witness the second decline as several resorts sold out again in a government buyout and closed their doors for good in the early 80's. With the introduction of the internet and electronic "toys" in the 90's, we began to see business drop off again. Then the economy began to really falter in the mid to late 2000's and we've lost an entire generation of young kids being brought to the woods to enjoy the outdoors. Their young parents were products of the internet and shopping malls. They didn't have the interest or the money to go and be uncomfortable in the Boundary Waters by Ely. Plus, with very aggressive advertising for the Disneylands and pampered cruises of the world to the well-connected online, we've lost some more ground. Some families simply can't afford anything and grow up like I did in Ely - rarely taking a vacation, ever.

   Now, those of us remaining in Ely today are experiencing a graduating class of 45 kids when in 1979 it was 159. Those kids aren't sticking around. The median user age in the BWCA is 55. In another 5 years, where do you think that's going to be? How long will it be (realistically) before our out-of-shape 60-year-olds decide that going to Florida and sitting on the beach is more enjoyable than schlepping a wet #4 pack and a canoe over a portage? I've heard it many times by many of our idealistic tourists that they "plan" to be paddling the BWCA until they die. Right... We all know precisely how accurate that prediction almost always winds up to be in reality. People get old, they get injured, and they stop coming.

   So, other than making a private and very temporary playground for older twin cities enthusiasts, what is your plan to see Ely survive? With Ely's average population aged 65 and older are you willing to pay substantially more in your personal taxes to keep Ely going? Will you contribute to keep the hospital operating, the roads to the entry points paved and maintained, and the schools open? How much extra are you willing to contribute to pay for law enforcement in the BWCA region? Meth use is on the rise in Ely and I'm sure, the entire region. How many more tax dollars are you willing to contribute to our area to fund dealing with this problem? Are you willing to quit your good-paying, twin cities area job as a master electrician and move to Ely to experience feast and famine personally? And how long will it be before you join the mass exodus out of town after you decide that making a living in Ely on tourism is a very difficult proposition requiring long hours and not a lot of pay, but with guaranteed uncertainty?

   So, ponder these things as you sign petitions to protect your 5 day, essentially-free, BWCA vacation, driving on roads that we pay for, while being protected by emergency services that we pay for, and stopping in stores that we pay for. Your $100 spent in Ely stores isn't going to float them through the winter, but your support of twin cities opposition to everything happening in Ely is certainly going to hurt all of us here in the long run. Maybe we should all sign a petition to have your company shut down. I hear working 3 part time jobs, like many do in Ely, is loads of fun but it significantly cuts into one's vacation time.

    Despite what the "environmental" detractors are spewing, we can have clean water and an underground mine located 3,000 to 4,000 feet underground. I bet you didn't know that it is not going to be an open pit but instead an underground mine.

    We are in the year 2013, not the Dark Ages. The locals up here actually like being here far more than you. We've committed a lifetime here while eeking out a living when we could have just as easily moved to some metro area for better pay. Your signing a petition against our support of the project says to me that you somehow know more and have greater concern for our backyard that you visit once a year. That's shortsighted on your part and rather insulting to all the people here who mined the very same rock for 88 years prior to the inception of the BWCA in 1964. Ironically, the BWCA was chosen (after 88 years of virtually unchecked-by-government mining) to be named a federally-designated wilderness due to it's pristine waters. Now, how was that even possible? The same rock?

  Hopefully, this letter will enlighten you somewhat. I'm not expecting much given the twin cities crowd and their blatant disregard of current BWCA laws while rabidly supporting something they know nothing about. It's always about their good time and ignore the rest of the world. Nonetheless, I thought I'd give it a try with you.


Joe Baltich

Northwind Lodge - Ely

Who best represents the Range? Conservation Minnesota or the GOP?

Article From True North:

This is a must read if you wish to have a job in Northeast Minnesota. Have a look at who and what is behind the scenes in the politics of Northeast Minnesota.

Conservation Minnesota, Friends of the Boundary Waters Wilderness and the Minnesota Center for Environmental Advocacy are targeting the proposed PolyMet mine near Hoyt Lakes and the proposed Twin Metals mine near Ely.

The bottom line is this: The Rangers can vote for DFL candidates that align themselves with anti-mining special interest groups from the Twin Cities. Otherwise, they can vote for GOP candidates that will vote to improve the economy on the range.

Full Article Here:

http://www.looktruenorth.com/48-limited-governement/local-control/19681-who-best-represents-the-range-conservation-minnesota-or-the-gop.html

Copper- Nickel Mining Minnesota: Nickel helps power fuel-efficient Prius c Hybrid

I post this link just to pass on to the green minded environmentalists and everyone else in the world that uses the prius, and computer, cell phones, ipads, ipods …..

The fuel tank and 144-volt nickel-metal hybrid battery pack, which weighs 68 pounds and consists of 120 cells, are placed together beneath the rear seat.

Test Drive – 2012 Toyota Prius C
http://www.iveho.com/2012/02/09/test-drive-2012-toyota-prius-c/
What do all of these things have in common? Precious metals I believe.

Where can they be mined safely with the new technologies that already exist?

Northeast Minnesota!!!!!

Court allows AT&T cell tower near BWCA

Article from Minnesota Public Radio:

Reversing a lower court, the Minnesota Court of Appeals says ATT can build a 450-foot cellphone tower with flashing lights that would be visible within parts of the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness.

http://minnesota.publicradio.org/display/web/2012/06/18/att-cell-tower-bwca/

Governor signs BWCAW land swap bill over objections

Governor signs BWCAW land swap bill over objections | Duluth News Tribune | Duluth, Minnesota


Legislation that would trade away state-owned land that’s now locked inside the federal Boundary Waters was signed into law Friday by Gov. Mark Dayton after clearing the House and Senate earlier this week.
The bill opens the door for the state to trade more than 86,000 acres of state school trust fund land in the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness for an equal value of federal land outside the 1.1 million acre wilderness.

In Midwest, mining unearths jobs as well as metals

 "Overall international economic growth is driving the demand for these metals and will do so for years to come," said Bob McFarlin, vice president of Twin Metals Minnesota.

And mining means jobs. At $20-$25 an hour, it's money that can support a comfortable lifestyle.

They're the sorts of jobs with which "you can build a family, buy a home, send your kids to college and come and live in Northern Minnesota and have a very good career," McFarlin said.

Read More: CBS Evening News Report:>>   In Midwest, mining unearths jobs as well as metals

Twin Metals Mining Project - Babbitt, Minnesota

A new mining project appears to be heading for the Babbitt and northeast range area of Minnesota. Indications  are that the mine entrance could potentially be located close to Babbitt and that it provides advantages due to being in the St. Louis/Superior watershed. The local area capital investment is estimated to be between 2-3$ Billion with up to 1,000 employees depending on how operations pan out. This will be huge for economic development in Northeast Minnesota and provide needed employment for many.

Located in northern Minnesota, Twin Metals Minnesota’s 32,000 acres of property interests are roughly 10 miles to the east of Babbitt, Minn. and about 15 miles to the southeast of Ely, Minn. Within this area are four NI 43-101 compliant mineral deposits: Nokomis, Maturi, Spruce Road and Birch Lake.

A mining project of this magnitude is brought to life through a multi-year systematic process involving multiple public, private and local, state and federal government stakeholders. After the strategic metals deposits were better defined by Duluth Metals Limited, the company formed a partnership with Antofagasta PLC, and together they founded Twin Metals Minnesota LLC in January 2010.

For More Information And Maps Visit The Following Links:

Twin Metals - Inside The Project

Duluth Complex Mineral Deposits (Polymet Website) 

Twin Metals Babbitt-Ely area mine project takes steps forward

Twin Metals formally announced Thursday that it has instructed its engineering contractor to draw up plans for an 80,000-ton-per-day mine and processing plant -- an operation that would be one of the largest private enterprises in state history.

It would be the largest underground mine in Minnesota history, digging the largest untapped copper deposit in the world, and it’s edging closer to reality in the woods southeast of Ely.
Twin Metals is in the field this spring collecting baseline environmental data across 32,000 acres the company has secured access to under which geologists say is a jackpot discovery of copper.

Full Article Here: http://www.duluthnewstribune.com/event/article/id/226817/publisher_ID/36/

Another attack by preservationists on area economy

Opinion piece by the Mesabi Daily News:

What’s this? Yet another environmental regulatory hoop some businesses and their workers on the Range are having to jump through with the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency Citizens Board.
The board on Tuesday delayed voting on a plan to reduce the haze over the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness — a plan that would severely hamper taconite mining operation on the Range, the jobs they produce and the payroll checks that are cashed by workers, many of them carrying union cards.

But they’ll be back in a month and opponents will have to stay vigilant to block another excessive reach by preservationists.

Read More Here: http://www.virginiamn.com/opinion/article_56cbabb2-7955-11e1-952c-0019bb2963f4.html

Boundary Waters Choral Festival, April 3, 2012 7 p.m.

The Boundary Waters Choral Festival Is Coming Up Soon!
Mark Your Calendars!

Tickets: Students/Seniors $3
Adults $5
Family Cap $12

Featuring the High School Choral Students from
Ely, Mt. Iron Buhl, Northwoods, Cherry
Southridge, Intl. Falls, and Northeast Range

Guest Conductor
Dr. Bret Amundson
Professor of Music at St. Scholastica

April 3, 2012 7 p.m.

George Moe Auditorium
Northeast Range High School

Fundraising The Main Agenda?

Excellent Opinion In The Ely Echo regarding the objectives of environmental activism.
http://elyecho.com/main.asp?SectionID=17&SubSectionID=34&ArticleID=11876