Troy Mine pushes onward

Revett Minerals officials quickly dispelled talk circulating of the impending demise of the Troy Mine during a Lincoln County commissioners meeting Wednesday, even offering an optimistic look toward the future.

“Yes, we are cautiously optimistic,” said Revett Minerals Spokeswoman Monique Hayes after she, Manager of Technical Services Larry Erickson and Paul Lammers, director of Environmental Programs, addressed commissioners Tony Berget, Ron Downey and Mike Cole.

“I’m really glad you guys are here,” said Berget, the presiding commissioner. “I was looking forward to your visit today.”

Hayes and Erickson explained Revett officials are continuing efforts to establish an alternate route to the richly mineralized lower Zones A and C. An early December collapse of parts of the mine halted operations in the mine as the D Access area used to reach Zones A and C became obstructed.

Erickson said crews will continue working on the alternate access route and within 35 days should know whether the alternative route is successful.

“We should know by mid- or late July,” Hayes said. “We will update at that time.”

Currently, the mine employs about 75 people. Up until the before the start of Memorial Day weekend, Revett officials had about 170 workers, down from the slightly more than 200 who were employed there before the December ore-extraction process halted.

Revett kept its full staff on payroll for more than six months after the groundfall, but then laid off nearly 100 workers in late May.

Since the layoffs, commissioners said they have heard various statements about the mine.

“We had heard that (the Mine Safety Health Administration) had shut you down,” Berget asked.  “We also heard that there were miners trapped.”

Erickson said Revett officials have been working with state mining officials as they continue to work toward achieving an alternative route.

“They were here (Tuesday) and today,” Erickson said.

Erickson explained four underground crews were consolidated into two, and this crew, which numbers about 20, are working only during daylight hours.

“We’re working to fully examine the most direct way to the C and A beds,” Erickson said.

Eureka Commissioner Cole said the news is welcome.

“It sounds like you are going back to basics,” Cole said. “We had heard the whole mountain was falling in.”

Lammers, the environmental specialist, said recent evaluations of the mountain surface reveal no such cave-ins.

“(It appears) any movement has stabilized,” Hayes said. “It appears to be diminishing.”

Hayes added workers are making plans to reroute electrical and ventilation support services.

Commissioner Downey then asked about progress toward the permitting process of the Rock Creek Project, which is located south of the Troy Mine in Sanders County.

Erickson said progress toward that mine is moving along. Lammers, addressing the environmental process, said work is continuing on the draft Environmental Impact Statement.

“That’s about the best news that we have heard,” Berget said.