Revett operation focuses on maximizing ore extraction, safety
<p>Safety officer Austin Wilson displays a sample vial of processed ore, the finished product Revett ships from Troy.</p>
<p><span>The low-RPM tumbler uses large steel bearings to grind the mine rock and ore into workable sizes for mineral extraction. </span></p> <div><span><br /></span></div>
<p><span>The Revett mine has a network of about 100 miles of driveable roads inside Mount Vernon.</span></p> <div><span><br /></span></div>
<p><span>Revett Chairman Tim Lindsey inspects a rock with copper ore outside the mine opening.</span></p> <div><span><br /></span></div>
<p><span>Austin Wilson explains the process in which ore rises to the top in an enzyme wash and then floats off.</span></p> <div><span><br /></span></div>
<p><span>John G. Shanahan, President and CEO of Revett Minerals, explained the company’s stance on environmental issues, citing the efforts of crops in the reclaimed tailings area.</span></p> <div><span><br /></span></div>
<p><span>A mining dump truck in the garage for repair. The price of a single tire is $13,000. Bio-fuel is used in most of the vehicles.</span></p> <div><span><br /></span></div>
What exactly is a miner? If you thought like the staff of The Western News the other day when we got a tour of the Troy Mine, you might have thought it was the gritty, soot-covered men of yesteryear or the whistling pick-axe wielding dwarves of Disney.Â
What we discovered instead was surprising. Only 40 percent of employees at Revett Minerals’ Troy Mine even go underground. The employees are well-versed and trained in proactive safety measures and the finished product from the mine is a fine-grained sand-like material with copper and silver within.
From the administrative offices to the workshop to the well-ventilated shaft itself, Troy Mine is a safety-first operation.