Money for the smelter
President signed bill with $1 million for projectBy KURT HAUGLIE, DMG Writer
Article Photos
RIPLEY - Next summer, there could be a lot of construction activity at the former Quincy Smelter Works, thanks in large part to federal funding.
On Thursday, the U.S. House of Representatives passed the 2010 Interior, Environment and Related Agencies Appropriations Act after a House-Senate conference committee approved the bill, which included $1 million for stabilization efforts at the smelter site. It was then sent to the president for his signature, which he did Friday.
The smelter site is owned by Franklin Township, and in March, the township received $285,000 from the federal Housing and Urban Development agency, also to be used for stabilization efforts.
Glenn Ekdahl, Franklin Township supervisor, said it's been a long process to get the funding for the stabilization work at the site, and Sen. Carl Levin, D-Detroit, was very involved. Levin included language in the Interior appropriations bill, which waives a local match, and Ekdahl said he very much appreciated that.
"That's the really superb part," Ekdahl said.
Because a local match isn't necessary, Ekdahl said the $1 million can be put to use much more quickly.
Four of the 12 buildings on the site will be worked on first, Ekdahl said, including the reverberatory furnace building, casting plant, minerals building and warehouse.
"We're going to be stabilizing the most critical buildings," he said.
Without stabilization, Ekdahl said many buildings are in danger of collapsing, although how long that would take, he isn't certain.
After the buildings are stabilized, Ekdahl said plans for the final use of the site can go forward. Design company E2 of Charlottesville, Va. will do drawings for the final use, which will include ground cover for the stamp sands to prevent further erosion of the sands into the Portage Lake Shipping Canal, possibly with logs, and walkways for visitors to the site. The two slag heaps on the site won't be covered because the federal Environmental Protection Agency, which has been involved with much of the planning for the site, considers them historic because they help tell the story of copper smelting.
Ekdahl said there have been many people and organizations working to find a new use for the smelter site, including the cities of Hancock and Houghton, both of which have donated $5,000 to the effort, the Michigan Department of Environmental Quality, the EPA and Gov. Jennifer Granholm's office. Community groups, such as the Quincy Smelter Association, are also involved.
"There's a lot of people involved," Ekdahl said. "It's a real community effort."
Because of legislation put into law this past spring, the Keweenaw National Historical Park will be involved with the planning process for the site, for which Ekdahl is very appreciative.
"I'm relying on their expertise and know-how," he said.
Ekdahl said he isn't certain when work on the stabilization efforts will begin, but he thinks it could be sometime next summer. Work on covering the stamp sands at the site will definitely begin in the summer, however.
"Next summer should be pretty exciting," he said.
Kurt Hauglie can be reached at khauglie @mininggazette.com.
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FreeCountry
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11-10-09 12:03 PM
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No confusion here. You are right the smelter money comes from the feds. Shows how much the feds are worried about education. The feds should have given the state the money that is going towards this smelter and the state could use it for education. They may be different buckets of money but the money comes from a common source. WE THE TAXPAYER. No confusion there either.
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CussinJack
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11-09-09 12:37 PM
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FreeCountry -- It's FEDERAL money in the smelter, NOT STATE money. Don't confuse the two. Don't confuse the conversation by saying schools are having difficulty -- that's a STATE funding issue. Different buckets of money.
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FreeCountry
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11-09-09 10:13 AM
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Since when is it "having a poor attitude and whinning" to point out the fact that our state government is having a battle over education funding and yet we have money to throw away on this smelter, studies on wolves and wildfires, funding the building rehab in Calumet...etc??? CussinJack - The facts are not always nice down here on Earth....Get your head out of the clouds. Screw Thumper and his mother...it is rabbit season after all.
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Snowman
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11-08-09 11:44 AM
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Fedup, I was going along till you marched out your bigotry. I'll bet you figure out how to get that "Mexican" line in any chance you get! Local or not local, it doesn't need your obvious colorful slurs to make the point.
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CussinJack
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11-08-09 10:50 AM
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Yo fedup -- I don't know that I agree entirely with your analysis there. The Houghton infrastructure project was completed mostly with "local" companies -- "local" meaning U.P. If those companies hire "Mexicans" that sounds like free market, private enterprise working the way it's supposed to. I'd also say that if the Park needs specialized craftspeople to perform specialized rehabilitation/restoration I'd say that helps to create a market that could be filled by local tradespeople if they possess the required skills and experience. If the Park has to go outside the local market to find those skills then that too sounds like free market working correctly. Let the locals step up. There are some very talented craftspeople in the Keweenaw. The Park will award contracts where the talent and cost can be justified. Giving the work to locals just because they're locals? That reeks of cronyism and favoritism, not free market capitalism.
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imfedup
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11-07-09 9:37 AM
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cussinjack. the reason everybody is complaining is they are more intune with reality. its hard to justify dumping millions into a building that serves no purpose when they keep cutting funding to schools,the jobs keep leaving, they wont spend money to fix collapsing water systems. you people need to keep hanging onto the past and move toward the future. oh and about the people that say it will bring in jobs. look around next time and look at the the companies and people doing the jobs. i see more and more companies from outside of the area doing the work around here, they are coming from down state, wisconsin. and the socalled local companies dont alway use local labor.. remember that the next time you see a major construction project and see all the mexicans doing the work. example the yooper loop, the condos next to the bridge.
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CussinJack
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11-06-09 9:40 PM
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The bleakest thing around these parts is the ****poor attitudes and constant whining on the DMG blogs. Remember Walt Disney's Bambi? What was it Thumper's mom used to tell him? Remember? "If ya can't say somethin' nice, don't say nuthin' at all".
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FreeCountry
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11-06-09 1:33 PM
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Some of us are looking ahead and it's not pretty. If we keep spending money on B.S. like this smelter and not on the important things like education and infrastructure the future will be bleak at best.
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imfedup
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11-06-09 10:34 AM
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RAYMAN. YOUR 100% RIGHT. WHY DO PEOPLE AROUND HERE CLING TO THE THE ONE THING THAT ADANDONED THEM DECADES AGO.. WITH THAT MENTALLITY THERE WILL BE NO FUTURE AROUND HERE. NOBODY IS LOOKING AHEAD
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Rayman5321
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11-06-09 10:24 AM
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This area has been going down the tubes since the depression of the 1930s. If MTU were to shut down you all might as well pack up and leave.
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imfedup
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11-05-09 8:20 PM
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gitchee.. i never said it would make them look like fools but i know*****well they would complain. the government keeps cutting funding for schools, they dont believ in investing in the future. yet they find millions to invest and dump into preserving a place that is classified a toxic waste site. investing in places like that do not provide jobs or a future for the area. so get off your preservation soap box come down to reality. they will dump money into usless project but hubbells water system is on the verge of collapse and they cant find the money for that.. so when it does collapse and people are with out water and the fire dept cant fight a fire i hope your there to help out.
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Gitcheegomie
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11-05-09 7:55 PM
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Yes! Putting pink siding on your home will make the Park look like fools. Brilliant! Its this kind of reasoned thinking that makes a difference in the world. Take note everyone. Imfedup is ready for action! Pointless, poorly planned action that makes him look ridiculous. But action nonetheless.
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imfedup
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11-05-09 6:47 PM
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quincyfan if you feel that way you flip the bill as far as the KHNP is a joke its the biggest waste of money up here. all they are is overpaid babysitter that cry and complain about anything anybody try to do around here. i live in one of the historic c&h homes that can be seen from the headquaters. im so fed up with them im thinking about putting pink vinyl siding on my house and watch them try and do anything about it. they will be crying in the streets
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Gitcheegomie
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11-05-09 5:49 PM
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Federal money should be used to save National treasures. Its not about saving some old factory. Its about saving a UNIQUE old factory with a story that is worth saving. Its as simple as that.
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BobbyH
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11-05-09 4:08 PM
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Federal money should not be used for the smelter when we have so many other more important uses for the money. Let the preservationists pay for their plans using the admission fees paid by the tourists who visit there.
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QuincyFan
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11-05-09 3:15 PM
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You know, celebrating our history and solving some of the other other problems mentioned here (education, infrastructure, public services) are not mutually exclusive activities. Rather than complaining about the successes of organizations who want to protect our past (Franklin Township, KNHP, Quincy Mine, etc.), it might be useful to spend some of that energy focusing on fixing other problems. Use your passion (or anger) to get involved and make a difference on issues that matter to you most. I'm happy that Franklin Township is doing something to improve the lives for its citizens. I'm not going to complain if any of you do something that fixes one of the many problems mentioned here. If we all did this, we'd probably end up with a better community, with better lives, for all of us.
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FreeCountry
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11-05-09 2:58 PM
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imfedup- You have hit the nail on the head. The fed is extending unemployment benefits for another 14 weeks...another extension? We are creating a new group of Americans...The GDP's. GOVERNMENT DEPENDENT PERSONS.....heck with working, would have to pay taxes then. Just let the Gov. pay us.
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imfedup
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11-05-09 2:33 PM
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mode001. true. very true. the worse the economy gets in an area the worse the area is going to look and with no jobs coming in its going to get wosre because the ones who dont leave for work and just going to sit by and become dependant on the state. speaking pickup trucks. why is it hancock has one for a police vehicle?
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Mode001
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11-05-09 2:30 PM
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I forgot to add that in Laurium's defense, they DID try passing an ordinance most recently. The problem is, the CITIZENS voted against it! And the Village of Laurium essentially did, too! Why? Because the Village said that they themselves would be in violation of the new ordinances if passed! HAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!! I'd be ashamed to have to admit to something like that sitting on a local council. But who makse up the council? Residents and community members... certainly some of which fall into the lazy/don't care category. If there isn't some government funding that can be used to "clean up our act," then there should be, rather than it going to the Union Building or the Smelter! The government needs to revisit the root of the word "APPROPRIATIONS!"
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Mode001
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11-05-09 2:18 PM
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>>Are the messy lawns and cars in the yards to >>be blamed on the government or people being >>too lazy/unmotivated... It's both! But without government (local) really trying to enforce ordinances, etc. they'll just be taking government money to fund half the expense of a new pickup truck like Laurium is currently doing. The other part of the problem is that people are just too lazy. Funny how they're not too lazy to haul their derriere to the local bar night after night, but heaven forbid they take that vehicle off the blocks in their front yard. Again, priorities so askew. And people thought trailer trash mentality only existed in the southern states. It has migrated north to the Copper Country as well.
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imfedup
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11-05-09 2:12 PM
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snowman.. you hit it on the head. just because somebody in my family way back when worked there doesnt mean it has to be immortalized. yes mining built this area but the mining companies pulled up thier stakes along time ago and left area. left the people that built them and left thier mess for everybody else to clean up.this area is no different then the coal towns of west virgina that the mining companies have done the samething too
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imfedup
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11-05-09 2:05 PM
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the yards and cars are blamed on both..there is no "bight" laws in calumet. alot of the housing in that area is rentals.. renter for the most part dont take pride in ownership. why? they dont own it. with the full-time jobs leaving the area people cant buy houses and you also have the fact that the large number of empty houses in the area because of the lack of jobs of the death of the older population. the landlords/banks dont keep up empty houses look at all the full jobs that have left the area in the past 5 years alone. blizzard,cuda,strandwood,northern hardwoods, terex, smurfit-stone. nothing has come in to replace any of them
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Snowman
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11-05-09 2:02 PM
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This whole "Saving History" mania I believe is rooted in a deep seeded sense of lost community identity and personal selfworth. These preservationists are groping, flailing for life preservers to hold on to the last shreds of what used to be. I feel badly for them. The area needs to take serious stock of what it has and what it is NOW. This is the reality of today and we need to focus on building a real future leaving the past were it belongs...in the past. Not forgotton, but not an all out frenzy grasping a bits of a lost and gone identity at any cost like the dying gasping for air.
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Trogdor
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11-05-09 1:54 PM
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Are the messy lawns and cars in the yards to be blamed on the government or people being too lazy/unmotivated to take pride in their own community?
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imfedup
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11-05-09 1:53 PM
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whats the total for the amount spent on preserving buildings that nobody has access too? $1million on the smelter, several million on the union building in calumet, probably another mill or so on the large building at quincy yet nobody can use or visit these buildings. but yet we cant get the money for a new water system in hubble. im begining to think that the knhp is trying to preser it because its historical. they raised a stink because a business but a carved wood door on its entrance yet the village of calumet looks like the projets. dead cars in yards, unmowed lawns, houses not kept up.
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