Michigan EGLE to issue approval for Eagle Mine mining permit amendment

MARQUETTE -- Eagle Mine requested an amendment to the Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes and Energy for its current mining permit to expand underground mining to an area designated as Upper Eagle East.

According to a notice from EGLE, the expansion will result in the addition of an estimated 2 million tons of ore mined, and increases the expected life of the mine through 2029, pending future economic conditions.

In a November interview with The Mining Journal, Eagle Mine managing director Darby Stacey said with where things are going, Eagle Mine can continue to mine economically until early 2029.

But if something shifts significantly, he said, such as the costs being higher than anticipated or the price of nickel being much lower than anticipated, the mine life could "shrink up."

"Those gaps could reappear in that mineral inventory because we can't economically get at it," Stacey said. "Eagle, historically, has never been in that position. Our ore is very valuable and so it almost doesn't matter what the price is. You're going to be able to make a margin on this in a different zone, a very low-grade material where efficiency matters, price really matters. But we're very incentivized to keep things going and try to do everything that we can to extend that out."

According to the notice from EGLE, the proposed expansion is within the existing footprint previously evaluated in the environmental impact assessment on record and is "not likely to result in foreseeable increased or different environmental impacts than those already addressed in the approved mining permit conditions."

"The methods of mining and daily mining rates are not proposed to change, and the capacity of existing facilities continue to be sufficient for supporting the operations," the notice said. "Therefore, EGLE has determined that the amendment request does not constitute a significant change from the conditions of the approved mining permit and shall issue approval within 14 days of the date of this publication of notice."

The amendment request document can be accessed on the EGLE non-ferrous metallic mining website at michigan.gov/egle/about/organization/oil-gas-andminerals/mining/nonferrous-metallic under Eagle Mine.

For more information, contact Melanie Humphrey at 906-250-7564 or humphreym@michigan.gov.