Bucyrus President and CEO Tim Sullivan; LaPoint Iron Co President John Congdon; and Phil Neurenfeldt of the Wisconsin AFL-CIO made a compelling case for iron ore mining in Wisconsin at a one-day conference convened recently by Wisconsin Secretary of Commerce Dick Leinenkugel. Wisconsin’s Ashland and Iron counties are home to 23% of the country’s iron ore reserves. Of that, about 2,000 Mt can be mined safely and economically, resulting in a market value of $160 billion at today’s prices, according to the group.

 LaPoint Iron is seeking state approval for a proposed mine. The speakers explained that by not embracing iron ore mining in the state, Wisconsin was foregoing significant employment and revenue opportunities that its neighbouring states, Minnesota and Michigan, were realising.

Sullivan noted the important advances made in mining technology and mine land reclamation and restoration since a proposed mine was last stopped in Wisconsin. He urged those who had reservations about mining to work together in a collaborative, rather than an adversarial, role, noting that the project could be completed with the right people and groups involved. Sullivan’s presentation can be accessed at http://nma.org/tmp/012610_Tim_Sullivan_presentation.pdf