Mining may resume in June

Crews at Troy Mine are expected early next month to complete the Mine Safety and Health Administration-approved effort to remove rock-shaft debris that for months has halted mining operations.

Revett officials then hope three weeks after that — in early June — to resume mineral extraction from the silver and copper mine located south of Troy.

Troy Mine Vice President of Operations Doug Miller on Wednesday said crews of between six and 10 workers are working during daylight hours to clear the blockage that resulted from seismic activity in early December. That activity stopped ore extraction as a plan was devised to continue.

Addressing Lincoln County commissioners, Miller estimated the mine has lost roughly 7 percent of its estimated 200 employees during the work slowdown.

While Revett Minerals, Inc., has not laid off workers, staffers are not being paid bonuses for meeting safety and production goals.

“I want to make this perfectly clear: We are paying everyone, but we have lost between 12 and 15 (people),” Miller said. “It could be a couple of things: The uncertainty (of mine resumption), and I’m sure some are concerned about safety. I’d say the majority of them are safety concerns. I think once there’s production (again) they’ll probably come back.”

Miller said as crews continue to clear obstructions, they are installing a lattice-like girder network in those areas for added support.

“We are doing some drilling and blasting and putting in quite a bit (of concrete support) to reinforce the (ceiling),” Miller said.

After the mine is cleared of debris, crews would begin pumping water from that section of the mine, which would be followed by an inspection of MSHA officials before ore extraction could resume. Should the mine be successful with an early June resumption of extraction, it would be about six months after the stoppage in December.

Commissioners also presented Miller and Revett officials Larry Erickson and Paul Lammers with two plaques thanking Revett Minerals for its support of its workers.

“It’s not just 200 people there,” Presiding Commissioner Tony Berget said after reading the proclamation. “Those 200 people have families of three or four people. We’re grateful for the way they’ve treated their workers.”

The plaques were spearheaded by Kootenai Valley Record Publisher Leland Bothman, who approached businesses about the honors.

Erickson and Lammers joined the meeting with commissioners near its conclusion, as they were meeting with U.S. Forest Service officials via telephone about progress on the Environmental Impact Statement for the proposed Rock Creek Mine.

“Getting it complete is still a long ways away, but we’re hoping it’s sometime this year,” Miller said.

The Rock Creek Mine site is located in Sanders County, and it represents a permitting process that would extract copper and silver ore.