They want to open up the old Humboldt mine.
HUMBOLDT TOWNSHIP -- Kennecott Minerals filed permits with the Department of Environmental Quality Friday in an effort to get the green light on opening the old Humboldt mill.
Kennecott purchased the property back in September with hopes of operating the mill in conjunction with their proposed Eagle Project mine in Marquette County.
The mill would grind up the ore rock from the mine and separate the metals, allowing them to ship a more concentrated product to Canada for processing. This would save on transportation costs and energy.
"We're not going to be doing any smelting at this facility," said Kennecott GM Jon Cherry. "No pyro-metaling. There's no heat, no flames. Very simply, we're grinding up rock and separating the metal from that ground up rock."
Cherry says the mill would become the largest employer in Humboldt Township, creating 100 construction jobs and 50 full-time positions to run the operation.
"Our goal is to hire at least 70 percent local," Cherry explained, "and we would put together a training program to get the people trained up to Rio Tinto safety standards and with the latest technology."
The DEQ permit process is expected to take about a year and construction, another year after that. Kennecott is still waiting for resolution of two contested cases and an EPA permit for their proposed mine in Marquette County. So at the earliest, the Humboldt mill could open its doors again in 2011.
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