Local mines in Bovey, Minnesota, are contributing to a red dust problem that citizens are struggling to fix.
The City of Bovey Is Seeing Red
Red ore dust generated by local mining activity has been causing trouble in Bovey, Minnesota, and other surrounding cities. Although the dust itself is non-toxic, local news sources such as the Scenic Range News Forum confirm that when it’s produced in excess, it can contribute to a slew of medical and environmental problems.
Backed by local mining company Magnetation, the town of Bovey has begun to implement its plans to keep everyone in the community safe and healthy.
The Issues
Underground mining processes in certain environments can cause red ore, a typically harmless material, to be released from beneath the earth. When that same environment is characterized by high winds, the dust becomes almost impossible to monitor. And high quantities of red ore dust over long periods of time can prove exceedingly detrimental to lung health.
Unfortunately, these problems tend to persist year-round. The frozen and windy conditions of Minnesota winters make the dust especially difficult to manage, and the inability to suppress it has led to lingering excesses in the spring and summer.
Although mining companies like Magnetation are vigilant about monitoring dust levels, the out-of-control conditions made accurate accounting of the airborne particles nearly impossible.
“There are a lot of people worried they’re not going to be able to open a window (during the summer) due to the dust,” said Dick Foss, one of the councilors for the city of Bovey, underscoring the seriousness of the situation.
The Plan
During a City Council Meeting, Magnetation’s Executive Director Michael Twite assured councillors, “It’s our goal to make sure we are not adversely impacting any community.” And to that end, Magnetation implores Bovey citizens to contact the company with any problems they experience with red dust. However, the company cannot solve everything on its own.
What’s more, the city needs something comprehensive: traffic separation, the construction of paved roads, and a truck wash have alleviated parts of the problem, but haven’t proven sufficient. And the town’s residents shouldn’t have to move or adjust their lifestyles just to avoid a scourge of dust.
Midwest Industrial Supply, Inc. has suggestions for Magnetation to deal with the dust through all kinds of weather and conditions. Midwest’s services, products, and solutions are environmentally conscious and economically reasonable, and have all been rigorously tested to ensure fully effective dust suppression.
Midwest’s dust control solutions and products can stop dust from getting into the water and the air, keeping workplaces, farms, industrial sites, and property healthy and safe. Synthetic dust control products such as EnviroKleen® and EK35® are easily applied products that Magnetation and the Council of Bovey can utilize in order to create a safer, better environment.
(Image credit: jbdodane/flickr)
