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Environment
Protecting and sustaining our environment
We work every day to prevent, or otherwise minimize, the potential impacts of our operations on the
environment.
We maintain the highest standard of environmental performance through several programs we have developed and implemented, focusing on air quality, ecosystem services, biodiversity, energy, land, water, waste, and closure.
The Community Environmental Monitoring Program (CEMP) is an independent program run by community organizations that monitors our environmental performance.
Air Quality
Reducing and monitoring emissions is one of our top priorities. We look for ways to continuously improve our performance when it comes to air quality, and by doing so, we minimize our potential impact on the Upper Peninsula of Michigan.
We regularly monitor air quality and regulated emissions at both the mine and mill and have programs to maintain these emissions well below permitted limits.​
Water Quality
At Eagle, we use water at every stage of our business: exploration, construction, mining, milling, and reclamation. We focus on ways to minimize the amount of water we remove from the environment, reuse it whenever possible and return it to the environment in a state that meets regulatory standards.
We use a state-of-the-art, multi-phase water treatment plant to treat water from operations at both the mine and mill. Once treated, water is recycled back into the mining and milling process or returned to the environment via an infiltration system or surface water discharge.
With advanced water treatment processes and strict
monitoring programs in place, we are confident in minimizing our potential impact on the environment
Tailings Management
Responsible mining goes beyond the safe extraction of nickel and copper by managing the tailings left after removing the valuable parts of the ore. At the Humboldt Mill, the tailings are sent to the Humboldt Tailings Disposal Facility (HTDF).
The HTDF is the original open-pit iron ore mine that filled with water over time and has housed the tailings from Ropes Gold Mine for over 20 years. The pit is approximately 400 feet deep and contains 200 feet
of tailings from Ropes.
Eagle's tailings are permitted to be deposited sub-aqueously in the HTDF to an elevation of 1515 MSL. This underwater disposal method is considered the best practice for storing sulfide-bearing tailings.
Reclaiming the natural state
When mining operations cease, we will begin our closure process. To preserve the environment, we will reclaim the land's natural state. All development rock will be returned to the mine as part of the underground reclamation process.
It will be restored to the pre-mining landscape using native vegetation to promote enhanced wildlife habitat. The final land use will be compatible with existing uses on adjacent properties. Post closure management and monitoring will be conducted for 20 years after the completion of surface reclamation.
Regulation for modern mining
We are permitted to mine under Michigan's Part 632 Nonferrous Metallic Mining law, and the Department of Environment, Great Lakes & Energy oversees the environmental regulation of our operations.
In addition, both the mine and mill sites are regulated by the Mine Safety & Health Administration, which conducts routine inspections.
Environmental Monitoring Transparency
At Eagle Mine, we aim to be up-front and honest about our impact on the environment by participating in a progressive approach to transparency called the Community Environmental Monitoring Program (CEMP). At the heart of CEMP are three well-known community organizations:
The SWP and KBIC monitor our environmental performance and report back to the community,
and the CFMC ensures that the program funding is
at arm's length.
We have committed to funding the CEMP for $300,000 per year. We're confident the Upper Peninsula of Michigan is setting a new benchmark for community oversight of modern mining with this model.