HUMBOLDT (AP) -- Upper Peninsula residents have given mixed reviews to a plan to reopen an abandoned mill for refining rock from mines in the region.
The Michigan Department of Environmental Quality hosted a public hearing Wednesday on Kennecott Eagle Minerals Co.'s proposal to refurbish the Humboldt Mill near Ishpeming.
Most speakers favored the idea, saying the U.P. needs the jobs.
But some raised concerns about the environment - especially whether storing tons of "tailings," or waste sand, on the grounds would pollute nearby waters.
DEQ geologist Harold Fitch said the project will be allowed only if natural resources would be protected.
The mill would process about 1,500 tons of ore daily from Kennecott's proposed nickel and copper mine in Marquette County.
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