ENVIRONMENTAL, ECONOMIC, AND SOCIAL IMPACTS OF MINING COPPER-NICKEL IN NORTHEASTERN MINNESOTA

The Duluth Gabbro Complex in northeastern Minnesota possibly contains a significant domestic copper resource and the Nation's largest nickel resource. Exploration has discovered large low-grade copper-nickel (Cu-Ni) deposits between Hoyt Lakes and the Boundary Waters Canoe Area. The mining and processing of Cu-Ni will have environmental, economic, and social impacts. The purpose of the study is to relate major environmental, economic, and social considerations to various aspects of Cu-Ni extraction. An open pit and two underground (block caving and open stoping with backfilling) models were developed to generate information on the impact of Cu-Ni extraction. Important considerations having environmental, economic, and social impacts during various aspects of Cu-Ni extraction are identified and defined. These aspects are exploration, development, mining, beneficiating, smelting, industrial, energy, climatic, resource, water, air emission, waste disposal, employee, tax and royalty, transportation, and community considerations.

• Corporate Authors:

  University of Minnesota, Minneapolis

  Department of Civil and Mineral Engineering, 122 Civil and Mineral Engineering Building
  Minneapolis, MN  United States  55455-0220

  Bureau of Labor Statistics

  441 G Street, NW
  Washington, DC  United States  20212
• Authors:
  • Hays, R M
• Publication Date: 1975-8

Media Info

• Pagination: 149 p.

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: City planning; Copper; Economic conditions; Economic factors; Energy; Environment; Forecasting; Freight traffic; Industries; Mineral deposits; Mineral resources; Mining; Ores; Pollution; Social change; Surveying; Surveying; Surveys; Traffic forecasting; Transportation
• Geographic Terms: Minnesota
• Old TRIS Terms: Copper ore deposits; Economic surveys; Environmental surveys; Nickel ore deposits
• Subject Areas: Economics; Energy; Transportation (General);

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 00090870
• Record Type: Publication
• Source Agency: National Technical Information Service
• Report/Paper Numbers: Report
• Contract Numbers: S0133089
• Files: TRIS
• Created Date: Jun 26 1976 12:00AM