Grant powers project toward Murray
The Idaho Pit of the Golden Chest Mine in Murray.
Courtesy photo
WALLACE — An infrastructure improvement project is underway and could mean big things for the Golden Chest Mine.
Idaho Strategic Resources and Shoshone County were recently awarded a $430,000 grant from Idaho’s Rural Community Investment Fund to complete a power upgrade project.
IDR, which owns and operates the Golden Chest Mine near Murray, was working toward upgrading the power supply to the facility to service a planned paste backfill system at the mine as well as increase the mine’s development efforts.
The communities of Murray and Prichard will also benefit from the upgraded power supply.
Work on the project has begun and will continue through the fall as crews complete the 23-mile project from Wallace to Murray.
“This is not only a testament to Idaho’s reputation as a mining and business-friendly jurisdiction, but also IDR’s track record of production and goodwill built over the past decade,” IDR President and CEO John Swallow said. “Our guys are proud of where we live and work and we are happy to help the local economies of Murray, Prichard, and the broader Shoshone County in a meaningful way.”
A paste backfill plant takes mine waste materials and turns them into a cement-like substance that can be pumped into areas of the mines that aren’t being worked in or have been completely mined. The substance fills the existing drifts and acts as a ground stabilizer.
This use of mine tailings reduces the amount of potentially hazardous materials that would otherwise remain on the surface or be moved to a repository, according to IDR.
The new plant will create six skilled labor jobs at the facility.
“We’re excited to see mining making a comeback and appreciative of the quality jobs it creates and helps sustain for our citizens now and in the future," according to a statement from Shoshone County commissioners.
The paste backfill plant and power upgrade are key steps to potentially building out a new mill in the Murray Gold Belt to facilitate future exploration and expansion activities.
“This is one of the rare examples where I truly believe it is a win for all of the stakeholders involved,” Swallow said.
The grant application was also supported by Avista Utilities and is administered through Idaho’s Rural Community Investment Fund.