Island Copper mine

Canada / British Columbia / Port Hardy /
 mine, copper mine, mining
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This saltwater lake is in the open pit of the former Island Copper mine. From 1970 to 1995, Copper, Gold, Silver, Molybdenum and a by-product Rhenium were mined, using conventional open pit truck and shovel methods. At closing more than 1 billion tons of material had been moved.

Two bits of trivia: 1. The bottom of the open pit was the lowest point on earth for a brief period (-400 m below sea level). 2. When the pit was flooded, by blasting a channel from nearby Rupert Inlet, it temporarily created the highest salt-water waterfall in the world.

Sea water was used to flood the pit in order to control potential acid rock drainage, which is a common environmental problem in many metal mines.
Nearby cities:
Coordinates:   50°35'54"N   127°28'27"W

Comments

  • Enough Rhenium in jet turbine blades actually makes them stronger when they are glowing hot. The expensive rare metal l;imits most uses to military engines.
This article was last modified 16 years ago