4 November 2009IRR Innovation Grant supports stockpile reshaping
A $72,150 Iron Range Resources Innovation Grant is helping reshape a surface overburden stockpile visible from Highway 53 near Virginia through a partnership with Cliffs Natural Resources, the University of Minnesota Department of Landscape Architecture, College of Design and the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources Lands & Minerals Division.
Overburden is material removed from the surface of a mine to gain access to iron-containing taconite. Taconite is crushed, processed and refined into iron ore pellets. Iron ore pellets are shipped to domestic steelmakers to be turned into steel.
Located south of Highway 53 near Virginia, the United Taconite demonstration site stockpile reshaping will be completed in the fall of 2009 and vegetated in 2010 by Iron Range Resources.
Reshaping the stockpile lessens environmental impacts, improves ecological function and enhances the stockpile’s appearance to the public. The reshaping also provides mine engineers with templates for future land shaping and vegetation composition.
A second stockpile reshaping is planned in 2010 at Keetac near Keewatin under a $51,490 Iron Range Resources Innovation Grant in partnership with United States Steel, the University of Minnesota Department of Landscape, College of Design, and Minnesota Department of Natural Resources Lands & Minerals Division. The total cost of the two projects is $276,310, including support from all partners.
The projects are part of a Laurentian Vision Partnership www.lvpmn.org initiative to turn pits and piles into lakes and landscape. The Laurentian Vision Partnership works with communities, business, mining operations and government to demonstrate how the mining process can create land forms that will accommodate residents, enhance the environment and promote future land uses within the region.