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This story was produced by My UP News Correspondent Andrew Lorinsor, find the original story here.
Mines across the state, including Eagle and Talon, may receive the benefits of nearly $200 million to improve environmental practices by recycling waste materials, specifically tailings.
That money comes by way of a $145 million federal grant and $50 million grant from the state to Revex Technologies.
To shed more light on this significant development, My UP News spoke with Nathan D. Manser, a mining expert from Michigan Tech.
The procedure is quite simple, as it aims to extract more resources from the tailings waste stream, according to Manser. They employ a method that enhances the effectiveness of extraction.
Occasionally, they also explore resources beyond nickel, since tailings frequently hold essential minerals and rare earth elements. This process is specifically designed to focus on extracting those materials.
Proponents say the initiative is critical as it seeks to extract valuable metals and sulfuric acid from the mining waste, which poses a significant environmental risk.
According to Revex Technologies, the company receiving the grant for the project, the demand for critical minerals will increase by a multiple of 20 in the next 10 years.
The company said minerals like nickel are essential for achieving net-zero carbon energy goals and play a vital role in various applications, including electric vehicle batteries, and renewable energy sources.
“In that process, it reduces the overall volume of the waste stream,” said Manser of MTU. “Nickel, right now, has a lot of potential in terms of energy storage. The current battery design, for example, uses nickel as one of the primary metal components. The biggest reason why it hits so close to home is that there’s not a lot of production of nickel generally in the United States.”
They are also crucial for the electricity grid and are utilized in defense and space industries.
“There is not any domestically mined nickel anywhere but here,” said Manser. “What they’re proposing to do now makes their tailings process more effective as it produces less of the material. It takes the sulfur reactivity, puts it back underground, and encases it in the backfill operation, which liquefies it back in the subsurface. And where it was found initially, they’re trying to make their process zero impact.”
While mining is inherently an exploitative industry, this innovative approach could transform the waste stream into something economically viable and less harmful. If successful, it will not only boost mining profitability but also reduce the environmental impact associated with traditional tailing management
However, this project has sparked concerns among environmentalists. Lundin Mining, the parent company of Eagle Mine has a storied history with what environmentalists call “greenwashing.”
Greenwashing is the act of misleading consumers about the environmental benefits of a company’s products, making unfounded claims to suggest they are more eco-friendly than they truly are.
Because of this, some worry that tax dollars are subsidizing what might pave the way for more mining activities that could lead to pollution and destruction of natural resources.
“Modern mines or mines of the future are trying to erase the legacy that’s there,” said Manser. “They’re all striving to have zero emissions and so this is a really good strategy to achieve that. This operation is a leader in this role. We’ll see a lot of permitting evolving, permitting regulations evolve based upon the experience with Eagle.”
“I’m guessing they’ll have quite a big voice in terms of what future mining looks like because of the success that they’ve had, at least here in Michigan,” Manser said.
As the demand for critical minerals like nickel surges, the balance between economic development and environmental preservation remains a contentious issue.
The project aims to address these challenges by promoting a more sustainable model of mining.
While the future of mining in the Upper Peninsula gains momentum with new funding and innovative recycling efforts, activists say the community’s concerns about environmental impact will need to be carefully managed as the project moves forward.
My UP News will continue to follow this story and mining exploration in the central western Upper Peninsula as it develops.
Read more stories about mining in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula from My UP News.
