Sulfide mining

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Sulfide mining is the mining of rocks which contain large amounts of sulfide.

Some rocks containing large concentrations of certain minerals such as copper, lead, zinc, and nickel, have a strong affinity for the element sulfur. When sulfur combines with these minerals, sulfide ore is the result.

Kennecott Mining Corporation, a subsidiary of Rio Tinto, is currently considering opening a sulfide mine on the Yellow Dog Plains in Michigan's Upper Peninsula (U.S.). The plan, called "the Eagle Project" by Kennecott, has garnered both local support and opposition. Proponents claim that the mine would produce jobs, while the opposition claims the mine would produce irreversible environmental damage.

[edit] See also

• Acid mine drainage
• Hard rock mining

[edit] External links

• The Eagle Project at kennecottminerals.com
• Information about the Kennecott Eagle Project
• Save the Wild UP, a grassroots organization with concerns about the economic, social, and environmental impacts of nonferrous mining