SPECIAL FOCUS
federal officials attempted to plug the vent and others with rocks to prevent future fire. Workers excavated and filled in two spots where the ground had collapsed after fire burned the underground coal in 2016 after federal officials stated the state had acquired responsibility for the site. Workers for a state contractor, Tetra Tech, visited the site two years later and discovered no evidence of fire – no melting snow, no smoky odors. Because of the site's previous irregular behavior, the company recommended annual monitoring but no additional efforts to mitigate the possible harm. Tetra Tech noted in a 2019 study for the Colorado Division of Reclamation, Mining, and Safety, "The fire's activity is relatively low and hence has limited potential to spark a surface fire." According to the Colorado Division of Reclamation, Mining, and Safety, the property owner is generally responsible for monitoring coal mine fires. The Marshall Mine fire is burning beneath a city-owned open space park along a state highway. Boulder officials claim they are not responsible for putting out the fire. However, city spokesman Sarah Huntley said the city is supposed to tell the state if rangers or trail personnel at the popular hiking area observe smoke or shifts. Since the 2019 report, the state's mining division has not been alerted of any modifications at the mine fire, according to the state's mining division. The state receives federal funds to assist landowners in monitoring and mitigating abandoned coal mine fires. However, spokeswoman Chris Arend stated that the mining division cannot compel any work to be done at the sites. 44 | SKILLINGS MINING REVIEW March 2022
Talon is part of Battery Materials and Technology Coalition "Not in My Backyard" arguments abound in the Twin Metals mining debate near Ely, Minnesota. There are environmental concerns, but advocates point to the hundreds of high-paying jobs the mine would provide to the community and the billions of dollars it would bring in investment as justifications for the project. CRUCIAL FOR COMBATING GLOBAL WARMING
A newer argument put out by supporters of the mine is that the minerals it will collect are crucial for combating global warming. Julie Padilla of Twin Metals estimates that we will need to raise the output of minerals like graphite, lithium, and cobalt by about 500 percent by 2050 to keep up with the rising demand for renewable energy. Climate-change technology such as solar panels, wind turbines, and electric vehicle batteries are among those that experts predict will be required to avoid the worst impacts of global warming. Minerals are a need, but they’re also at odds with the realities of the world. In the United States, many mining proposals are met with significant resistance by residents. Nowhere is this more clear than in northern Minnesota, where the Biden administration this week canceled two federal mining licenses owned by Twin Metals right on the border of the Boundary Waters. For environmentalists and local businesses, it was a big triumph. But it also shows how difficult it may be
to build up a local supply of the minerals required to convert to a green economy. Developing a domestic supply chain for these minerals has become more critical in light of predictions of looming severe shortages. Some manufacturers are even putting their money into mines. In the case of Talon Metals, a prospective nickel mine in the small town of Tamarack, roughly an hour west of Duluth, Tesla just signed a supply agreement. LOCAL SUPPLY CHAIN FOR BATTERIES
As part of the Battery Materials and Technology Coalition, a consortium of miners and other firms, Talon is advocating for developing a local supply chain for batteries, from mining through mineral processing and production. According to coalition spokeswoman Ben Steinberg, the supply chain is now mainly under the authority of China. Our allegiance to any one nation is untenable. It would be disastrous for the United States if that were ever cut off. All across the globe, people mine the metals now used in batteries, such as nickel, cobalt, and lithium. The overwhelming bulk of them is manufactured
