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Yahoo
6 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
New economic impact study for Mackinac Bridge shows big results for state, local communities
The Mackinac Bridge contributes nearly $200 million each year to the state's economy, as travelers flock to and across the iconic landmark. The Mackinac Bridge, connecting Michigan's Lower and Upper peninsulas, is a primary method of transportation for millions of residents and tourists. According to the results of an economic impact study recently released by the Mackinac Bridge Authority, the bridge makes $193 million each year and supports 1,449 jobs. "We've known for decades that the bridge's presence and the connection it creates for both peninsulas means that it is a focal point for tourism," said MDOT North Region Communications Representative James Lake. The Michigan-based company Public Sector Consultants performed the study over the course of 2024 using surveys, interviews and economic analysis. The study found that for every $1 in tolls paid at the bridge, $7.27 was generated in spending in Michigan. An economic impact of $161.6 million alone was concentrated in the Straits area of Mackinac, Emmet and Cheboygan counties. In 2024, over 4.5 million vehicles crossed "The Mighty Mac." More: Ice-related Mackinac Bridge closures lead to supply chain issues in U.P. Although the bridge is most often seen as a simple means of transportation from one peninsula to the other, and offers a critical shipping link for goods and services, almost half of the people surveyed in the study said the views from the bridge were one of their primary reasons for making the crossing. "Anybody that crosses the bridge knows what breathtaking views they are, so we're really not surprised that the views of the straits are such a noteworthy factor in the survey results," said Lake. Subscribe: Get unlimited access to our coverage More: Thousands take part in 2024 Mackinac Bridge Walk The study also examined the impact of the Annual Bridge Walk on Labor Day. It is the only day of the year when pedestrians are allowed to cross the bridge on foot. In 2024, around 33,000 people participated in the walk, which brought in an estimated $2.5 million in spending for the surrounding counties and a total of $3 million statewide. Nearly two-thirds of area businesses surveyed said they were positively impacted by the event. Participants who made an overnight trip spent an average of $224.93 on lodging, food and beverages, shopping, transportation, and other recreation. The study also found that participants who made the outing a day trip spent an average of $44.05. Public Sector Consultants determined that nearly two million visitors in 2024 could be attributed to the Mackinac Bridge as an attraction by itself. One-third of those visitors came from outside of Michigan, mainly from Midwest states as well as Florida, Texas, Pennsylvania and Kentucky. 'We've always known that the operation of the Mackinac Bridge, as well as special events including the Annual Bridge Walk, have had a significant impact on the local communities and beyond,' said Mackinac Bridge Authority Vice Chairman William Milliken in a press release. 'We're so pleased to see this study confirms and validates the positive impact it has for businesses and local governments.' To view the full economic impact study, visit — Contact Brendan Wiesner: BWiesner@ This article originally appeared on The Sault News: New economic impact study for Mackinac Bridge in 2024 shows big results for Michigan, local cities
Zawya
05-05-2025
- General
- Zawya
Illegal mining: A key risk to tailings dams management and mine closure
Artisanal mining often occurs close to an operating mine, even to access the same deposit. In many parts of Africa, illegal artisanal miners mine tailings storage facilities (TSFs) and rock dumps, which pose a significant risk to the management of tailings dams. SRK Consulting considers the risk that illegal artisanal miners pose in the management of tailings dams in many parts of Africa The same TSF risks that face nearby communities could then apply to these miners. James Lake, partner and principal environmental scientist at SRK Consulting South Africa (SA), explains that TSFs, as part of a mine's lease area, are usually well protected by security infrastructure and services during the mine's operational years. However, the risks related to unauthorised access tend to escalate post-closure. 'In Tanzania, for instance, we have witnessed artisanal miners on a TSF, where the tailings were also being removed for use as construction material,' he says. In SRK's experience, mines often create 'attractive nuisances' after they close, such as pit gathering water that attracts wild animals. Similarly, a TSF still containing known minerals would attract illegal miners, who could put themselves at risk and perhaps endanger the structure. Global Industry Standard on Tailings Management This illegal mining is also a risk that needs attention in terms of the Global Industry Standard on Tailings Management (GISTM). Based on her work in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), SRK Consulting South Africa (SA) principal environmental engineer Roanne Sutcliffe explained some of the risks associated with managing TSFs after mine closure. 'In one site, it was clear that artisanal miners were walking over a tailings dam each day to reach discards which were still considered to have some mineral value,' says Sutcliffe. 'They would then wash the ore in the supernatant pond on the TSF; this sort of activity could have health and safety implications and could impact the stability of the TSF.' In another case, there was evidence of artisanal mining on a mineral seam which was not only adjacent to a TSF but which also ran under the TSF's foundation. Post-closure activity close to a tailings dam was itself a potential risk, while any mining underneath the structure would compromise its stability and pose life-threatening risks. 'The GISTM highlights that mitigating TSF risks is a responsibility that extends for tens or even hundreds of years after mines cease operations,' she says. 'This means finding sustainable solutions and post-closure uses that address the considerable risks posed by ongoing artisanal mining.'
Zawya
01-05-2025
- Business
- Zawya
Africa: GISTM holistic approach emphasises importance of mine closure planning
The importance of closure planning for mines and the need to build these considerations into the initial mine design phase are re-emphasised by the holistic approach of the Global Industry Standard on Tailings Management (GISTM). The holistic approach of the Global Industry Standard on Tailings Management (GISTM) re-emphasises the importance of closure planning for mines. Pictured: An open pit mine rehabilitated (Image supplied) This approach considers risks throughout the life cycle of a tailings storage facility (TSF), including the decades following closure and, in some cases, even longer where stability or environmental concerns persist. James Lake, partner and principal environmental scientist at SRK Consulting South Africa (SA), says that closure is a theme that runs through the GISTM principles. 'The standard is explicit about the owners' responsibility to plan, build and operate TSFs to responsibly manage risk at all phases of the lifecycle – including closure and post-closure,' says Lake. 'This applies as much to the rights of project-affected people as it does to the maintenance of an interdisciplinary knowledge base and the operation of monitoring systems.' James Lake, partner and principal environmental scientist at SRK Consulting South Africa (Image supplied) Robust designs Recent years have seen considerable activity in the mining sector to bring TSFs into compliance with the GISTM, and Lake notes that TSF designs are becoming more robust. Among the considerations is the likely impact of climate change, for instance, which will require tailings dams to remain stable in conditions of higher or more intense rainfall. According to Roanne Sutcliffe, principal environmental engineer at SRK Consulting SA, the GISTM reiterates the principle that effective closure planning begins when mines are being conceptualised and designed. 'The operational life of a mine and its TSF is typically measured in decades,' says Sutcliffe. 'In contrast, when considering the post-closure aspects of a tailings facility, the design life will need to be much longer in most instances and may need to be considered in terms of centuries.' In terms of the GISTM, mines need to be able to demonstrate that, from a chemical and physical stability perspective, TSFs will remain stable throughout the operational phase and for centuries to come after mine closure. She notes that an 'active closure' period typically follows for 10-20 years after a mine ceases operations, where the TSF requires a maintenance and monitoring team almost commensurate with the team required for operations. After that, a more 'passive closure' regime may be sufficient, where the teams involved slowly reduce but would last for many more decades if not centuries. Roanne Sutcliffe, principal environmental engineer at SRK Consulting SA (Image supplied) Planning too late The GISTM emphasises the risks TSF failures pose to human life and the environment as well as the need for early design adaptations. For instance, ensuring long-term stability may require gentler slope designs, which increases the TSF's footprint. Where space is constrained, this closure consideration could limit the deposition capacity of the TSF and the production capability of the mine, even impacting the operation's planned return on investment. In this sense, the focus on mine closure is strengthened by the mining industry's compliance with GISTM, says Ivan Doku, principal resource geologist, partner and country manager of SRK Consulting Ghana. 'Planning fully for mine closure has always been challenging, but the GISTM has given positive momentum to this imperative,' says Doku. 'In West Africa, there is certainly increased interest in closure planning, as mines look for ways to close the knowledge gap between current operational requirements and post-closure needs.' Ivan Doku, principal resource geologist, partner and country manager of SRK Consulting Ghana (Image supplied) Re-processing valuable tailings Given the long mining history of countries like Ghana, he points out that there could be interesting opportunities in post-closure land use as it relates to TSFs. With advancements in mineral processing technology, many old TSFs could be re-treated to extract additional value before the remaining tailings are used for other purposes such as backfilling. 'The ability to treat material without incurring mining costs is an attractive prospect, with the revenue helping to boost the financial provisioning for closure,' he says. 'Where older facilities may not have been designed in optimal areas, re-treating the tailings also presents the possibility of depositing it in a different location – one that better suits the available post-closure options and can further reduce the mine's financial provisioning for closure.' Among the main reasons why effective closure is often so difficult is that tailings are viewed as a waste product with little or no current value, and many operations begin closure planning too late, when cash flow is limited, according to Sutcliffe. 'This means that money has had to be spent when it is least available, and for purposes that generate no return,' she explains. 'However, if it can be shown to be economically feasible to re-process a TSF, this allows for both additional revenue generation and integration into the updated mine-wide closure thinking, rather than retrospective management of old facilities not designed with closure in mind.' Risk management and mitigation Sutcliffe highlights the economic benefits of planning TSFs with closure in mind, pointing out the high cost required to bring many older facilities in line with the current standard's closure requirements. 'Early in the design stage, it is important to understand and best mitigate the potential risks that the TSF will present after closure. "Today, we see many facilities approaching the decommissioning phase, where risk mitigation could require significant expenditure or extended timeframes, or even both. 'It is generally far more cost-efficient to invest in the solutions earlier – in design or even at the operational stage – so that post-closure risk can be minimised," she explains. All rights reserved. © 2022. Provided by SyndiGate Media Inc. (
