1963 Empire Iron Ore Mine in UP MI that was closed in 2016 may reopen

(satellite info is below)

UPmatters, William Littrell shared in Rail Customer Discussion on 3-7-2019
"Cleveland-Cliffs Inc.believes in the future of Empire Mine re-opening"Thank the Lord. I hope they will, it would be good news for Marquette, Ishpeming, Neguanee, Gwinn & Palmer Michigan and the former Lake Superior and Ishpeming Railroad, as well as the Canadian National and Mineral Ridge Railroads.

"Available iron ore pellets on the global market have been steadily declining over the last decade, and have significantly declined further since the Vale Mine disaster in Brazil in 2015....'If Empire is brought back, not if, when Empire is brought back, we will be producing here something like 3.2, 3.3 million metric tons of pellets a year,' said Goncalves." [UPmatters]

Satellite, I never like seeing orange bodies of water

Cleveland-Cliffs pellet plant:

Satellite

The Lake Superior & Ishpeming Railroad goes north to connect to a CN/C&NW branch.

A 2016 article about the closure: "Lower production, tumbling iron ore prices and falling revenues and stock shares have plagued the owner of the massive mine, a mile wide and 1,200 feet deep. The industry is also grappling with increased imports from China." This mine employed 400 workers. (Another source put the number at 300 workers.) The adjacent Tilden Mine employs 770 workers. It is a younger mine [1974], and it could have several decades of ore left. "It will be the last operating iron ore mine in the state."

A petition to NOT reopen the mine

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