Photo: Office of Governor Mark Dayton & Lt. Governor Tina Smith, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
The Eagle Mine sits on the Yellow Dog Plains in northwest Marquette County, about 25 miles from the city. It is an underground mine and the only active nickel mine in the United States.
Long road to opening
Kennecott, then part of Rio Tinto, proposed the mine in the 2000s. The plan drew strong opposition from environmental groups and from the Keweenaw Bay Indian Community, which considers nearby Eagle Rock a sacred site. Lawsuits and permit fights lasted years.
The state approved the permits, and in 2013 Lundin Mining bought the project. Production began in 2014.
How it works
Ore is trucked from the mine to the Humboldt Mill in western Marquette County, a former iron ore site that was rebuilt to process nickel and copper. Concentrate is shipped by rail to smelters.
Jobs and limits
The mine employs hundreds of people and has contributed to community programs through a local fund. Its ore body is finite, and the company has been exploring nearby for more.
Water monitoring remains a priority for critics and for regulators. The mine posts its environmental data publicly.
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