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HUMBOLDT TWP -- A series of Rio Tinto's Eagle Mine Project community forums kicked off Tuesday in Marquette County.  The first forum was in Humboldt Township, asking residents for feedback on a milling operation in their community and how the ore will be transported from the mine.

Humboldt Township residents seemed to welcome Kennecott with open arms, since the company has pledged to employ hundreds of U.P. residents and a huge portion of them at the Humboldt mill.

"Rio Tinto has gone to great lengths to try to appease the residents of Humboldt Township, and certainly we feel that they've done a wonderful job, and the benefit for the Humboldt mill in our location is going to be huge to Humboldt," said Township Supervisor, Joseph Derocha.

Of course, residents showed natural community concerns and had the opportunity to discuss them with Rio Tinto Tuesday evening.

"What is your mine going to look like or your piece of property going to look like when you're gone?" asked one resident.

"At the end of the mine life, we're required to remove our surface facilities, but the water treatment plant will stay longer and then eventually the water treatment plant will be removed as well," said Kennecott representative, Matt Johnson.

Among many other concerns, one question seemed to take center stage:  what is happening with mine transportation?

After the application for the private Woodland Road was recently retracted, the Marquette County Road Commission has taken the reigns for the project.  They've revamped the design to make it a public road called County Road 595, and Kennecott has agreed to fund the costs of the permit application--more than eight million dollars.

"Kennecott believes that the development of a north/south corridor in the western part of Marquette County is best for everyone in the community, and this is why we are supporting the Marquette County Road Commission and their efforts to permanent County Road 595," Johnson said.

If County Road 595 does not get approved, a route from 510 to 550 and through Marquette will replace it.  There are three more community forums scheduled for the next week and a half.

Here's the list of Kennecott's scheduled community forums:

Negaunee/Ishpeming

Wednesday, April 20

6-8 p.m.

Country Village Banquet & Conference Center

Powell Township

Thursday, April 21

6-8 p.m.

Powell Township School Gym

Marquette

Tuesday, April 26

6-8 p.m.

Ramada Inn of Marquette