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

Mining And Environmental Groups Need To Partner - Nancy McReady

Our communities around the Boundary Waters are dying, or at best hanging on with life support. As proof, look at the empty storefronts, decreased school enrollments, decaying buildings and infrastructure due to a low tax base. We need good paying jobs and young families on the Iron Range.

Wouldn’t it be great if so-called environmental groups worked with mining companies to bring good paying jobs to the Iron Range rather than working against them?

Out in Montana, three local environmental groups have signed an agreement to work out their differences in the open and also apply strict environmental practices to the mining operation in North Stillwater. They have recently celebrated the tenth anniversary of the Stillwater Good Neighbor Agreement that keeps disputes out of the courts while protecting Montana’s watersheds.

There is a similar alliance in Pennsylvania between gas and oil companies working together with national and regional environmental groups to create tough new standards for fracking. 
 
This agreement has been criticized by the Sierra Club and other environmental groups. Yet the Sierra Club and other environmental groups have no problem partnering with labor unions with the BlueGreen Alliance. 
 
In Minnesota, the BlueGreen Alliance is working to expand solar capacity and retrofit public schools, libraries and state-owned buildings, all with a goal of improving the state's competitiveness and creating good Minnesota jobs. But what are they doing to help taconite plants or to move the precious metal mining forward? Nothing!
 
No one denies tourism is good for Minnesota, and the Boundary Waters is a big reason why. But, tourism isn't enough to provide good paying jobs to support a family.
 
Mining is very important to northeastern Minnesota, too. Environmental groups would be wise to work with the mining companies to assure all mining is done safely and protects the Boundary Waters rather than constantly delaying mining project by going to the courts. With new technology, we can mine responsibly and protect our environment.

Precious Waters Flotilla Runs Aground In The 8th District Of Minnesota

Aurora Councilor Dave Lislegard and mining supporters converged quickly to meet the Precious Waters Flotilla Group on Friday, Sept. 22. At its first intended launch point, the precious waters flotilla group ran into opposition from those mining supporters in Aurora, Hoyt Lakes and surrounding iron range communities. Four adult anti-mining supporters showed up. It is interesting to note that these anti-mining folks showed up with a car and used a cell phone both of which are made with iron ore and precious metals. One would have to wonder where they believe these objects come from.  Local property owners were not willing to allow this group to trespass their property and local law enforcement was called to enforce this. Many good points of discussion were brought up to consider that should be thought through in a realistic manner. There is quite a bit of that not happening in certain environmental circles.

First Video Here: Mining Supporters In Place To Greet The Precious Waters Flotilla Group.

Law Enforcement in place to keep things civil and prevent trespassing by this group.

Second Video - A Discussion of issues took place which can be viewed here in this video: 

   

Time For The "Flotilla" To Hit the road and go paddle elsewhere.

Background Article Related to this interaction. Mesabi Daily Article: Mining supporters successfully raised trespassing issue; trip to Twin Cities doesn’t begin in Aurora. http://www.virginiamn.com/news/article_e7652bc0-0529-11e2-b519-0019bb2963f4.html

Babbitt-Ely Copper-Nickel Mining, Mining Minnesota Fact Sheet

Minnesota is poised to become a global leader in supplying critical and strategic metals, such as copper and nickel, that are essential to our way of life.

Good information about the coming mining projects in Northeast Minnesota.

Fact Sheet Link: http://www.miningminnesota.com/factsheet2012.pdf