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BINGHAM CANYON -- Kennecott Utah Copper wants a new state pollution permit for a significant expansion of the mine.
The mine now has 70 environmental permits and needs to modify 25 to accommodate the expansion. First up is its air quality permit, which is already drawing close scrutiny.
Kennecott says it wants to expand the Kennecott's Bingham Canyon mine and extend the life of the mine for decades, but some wonder what impact that will have on local air quality.
Kennecott is proposing an expansion that would extend the mine's life to the year 2034. It's asking regulators to allow it to excavate about 1,000 feet from the south wall, which will deepen the massive pit by another 300 feet to reach 700 million more tons of copper ore.
"We need to move more ore to produce the same amount of copper we do today," said Kennecott Sustainable Development Adviser Nicol Gagstetter. "In order to do that we have crush more ore. To do that, we need more energy and will produce more tailings."
The expansion will mean up to 60 million more tons of ore excavated a year, a 30 percent increase.
Environmental impacts could include air pollution, dust, tailings, and water pollution to aquifers and the Great Salt Lake.
Thursday, Kennecott laid out its plan more than a dozen green groups. Not everyone embraced it.
The proposed expansion will mean up to 60 million more tons of ore excavated a year, a 30% increase.
Dr. Brian Moench, president of Utah Physicians for a Healthy Environment, said, "If our air pollution problem is already severe and we're already violating national standards, then for Kennecott to apply to increase that pollution that they're emitting is a serious problem for everybody."
At a briefing Friday, Kennecott advisers explained measures it plans to take, like cleaner truck engines using cleaner fuel and measures to handle fugitive dust.
"We are doing what we can to manage and minimize the emissions where we can across our operations and are committed to doing that into the future," Gagstetter said.
Both sides say they look forward to working putting the best plan in action.
"Whatever we decide to do, we have to show that we're not going to be impacting national air quality standards for a variety of air quality issues in this valley," Gagstetter said.
Kennecott has just started its approval process. The Utah Division of Air Quality is expected to take public comment on that process, which could last roughly a year.
E-mail: jdaley@ksl.com
