Hibtac expansion to displace mine view

Hibbing Taconite is running out of room to mine, so it needs to expand or close. It’s penned in by highways and the Iron Range cities of Hibbing and Chisholm, however, which means something would have to give for this 40-year-old mine to continue.

The Hibbing Daily Tribune reported Sunday that the mine has stated its initial plans. In two years, Hibtac will displace the Hull Rust Mine View, remote control airplane field and disc golf course in North Hibbing to continue mining south.

From the Hibbing Tribune story by Kelly Grinsteinner:

Hibtac is proposing to swap the city’s surface ownership in that area with a 20-acre parcel it owns on top of a stockpile known as the Susquehanna. This is located east of the current Mine View site. Its nearest access point is off McKinley Street and it’s also accessible via the Mesabi Trail.

Councilor Patty Shafer asked about accessibility to the stockpile and who’d pay for roadways.

“This is only a proposal at this point, but we’re bringing it forward now to get everyone involved,” said Croswell while also noting that costs would have to be discussed. “We want to find out what everyone wants.”

There is currently no public access to the high point of the stockpile. Where the Mine View would be located within that 20-acres would also have to be determined.

Hibbing Taconite is turning 40 this year. Officials say there is about 10 more years of mining left, according to the story. Hibbing Taconite is co-owned by ArcelorMittal, Stelco, U.S. Steel and Cliffs Natural Resources. Cliffs is contracted to operate the mine.

You might recall that the city of Hibbing was moved 3-5 miles to the south in the 1920s to accommodate mining.

Hibbing Taconite is also seeking rerouting of Highway 5 between Hibbing and Chisholm to accommodate its future plans. Some day in the future, the mine will have to reckon with Highway 169 — the major southwest-northeast corridor of the Mesabi Iron Range.

Ten years, however, is a very long time in the current economic environment for iron mining and steel companies. A 2018 relocation of the iconic Hull Rust mineview, however, is much more conceivable.