ISHPEMING - Kennecott Eagle Minerals Company officials said Friday that while they still intend to make improvements to a transportation route from its Eagle Mine via Marquette County Road 550 and Wright Street, the company will fund preparation work for a county road commission permit application being sought from state regulators for County Road 595.
The announcement comes almost a month after Kennecott officials said they would direct their resources away from helping the road commission develop the proposed County Road 595 because various delays would likely preclude the road from being completed in time for the projected Eagle Mine production start in late 2013.
"The Marquette Country Road Commission formally asked if we would reconsider our decision on County Road 595," said Kennecott Eagle Minerals acting project director Andrew Ware. "We understand that Marquette County representatives support construction of the road. While we cannot commit to fund the road construction at this time we are offering to fund the preparation of the permit for submittal to regulators."
Kennecott said it would be spending a total of between $3 million and $4 million for the engineering, environmental assessment and alternatives analysis and review for County Road 595. As of late last year, about 80 percent of the necessary work had been completed.
"We are pleased that Kennecott has reconsidered its decision and offered to fund the permitting of County Road 595," said Jim Iwanicki, Marquette County Road Commission engineer-manager. "We look forward to further discussions to secure an outcome that works for the entire community."
Kennecott officials also announced Friday that the company will pay for snowplowing to keep County Road AAA from the mine site to County Road 510 open during the mine's development and operation. No cost estimate was available Friday for the plowing.
The snowplowing is intended to keep the route to the mine open for employees, but also to keep the EMS response route from Powell Township to the mine site passable, according to Matt Johnson, Kennecott manager of external affairs.
County Road 595 would run south from the mine in Michigamme Township 22 miles to the Humboldt Mill. Compared to the company's approved transportation route, County Road 595 would substantially cut travel time and the 66-mile distance for mining and logging trucks and keep truck traffic out of Marquette and the busy U.S. 41 traffic corridor.
But there has been persistent opposition to the $60 million to $80 million County Road 595 project from environmental activists and a federal objection issued by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency over several issues, most prominently wetlands destruction.
Because of that opposition, and associated uncertainty of road permitting timelines and construction costs, Kennecott said last month development of County Road 595 would not likely be completed in time for the mine's scheduled production start of late 2013.
Kennecott officials said then they would divert their resources and efforts toward upgrading its approved transportation route, which includes county roads AAA, 510, 550, Wright Street and U.S. 41.
Kennecott now plans to improve that approved route, while the road commission pursues the County Road 595 project. If the County Road 595 project's permits are granted, the approved Kennecott route would likely still be used during construction of County Road 595.
Kennecott officials plan to continue to consider possible alterations to their approved route to better accommodate communities.
"In cooperation with local officials, we will work with residents and others in the community to solicit input on plans for alternatives," Ware said.
Kennecott officials said Friday minor legal issues need to be worked out with the road commission related to the company's funding the preparation work for the County Road 595 permit application.
"We have several details to work out," Ware said. "But we are committed to working with the county on a solution that works for them and one that supports the timely development of the Eagle Mine project."
John Pepin can be reached at 906-228-2500, ext. 206. His e-mail address is jpepin@miningjournal.net.
