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.
