User:Chris857/Empire and Tilden mines

The Empire and Tilden mines are iron ore open pit mines operated by Cliffs Natural Resources located near Palmer, Michigan, on the Marquette Iron Range in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan.

Empire mine
The Empire mine extracts and processes magnetite ore.

Tilden mine
The Tilden mine can extract and process both magnetite and hematite ore, but not simultaneously.

Shipping
The ore loading dock at Marquette, was constructed in 1911. It was 1200 feet long; 75 feet high; and 60 feet wide. Four railroad tracks ran across the top and there was storage space for 60,000 tons of iron ore. The new ore dock incorporated both concrete and and a light steel frame work, doing away with the wooden supports used in previous iron ore docks. While more expensive than previous iron ore loading docks that used both iron and wood frame works, the builders claimed the new construction would hold up far longer.


 * http://investing.businessweek.com/research/stocks/private/snapshot.asp?privcapId=1303903


 * Processing facilites
 * The ore docks

Environmental impact
In 1999, the mines accounted for 74% of Wisconsin Electric Power Company's electric energy sales in the Upper Peninsula and 39% of all sales in the Upper Peninsula.


 * http://www.michigan.gov/documents/deq/wb-swas-selenium-report_287994_7.pdf
 * http://www.michigan.gov/deq/0,1607,7-135--244363--,00.html

Tours
Tours of the mines have been offered since at least 1993. They take place in summer and tour the mine pits and processing facilities.


 * http://www.npr.org/2009/09/27/113251610/iron-mine-at-core-of-u-p-history-culture


 * http://hunts-upguide.com/ishpeming_tilden_empire_iron_mine_tour.html