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Back to the mines

May 29, 2008

Iron County's namesake is being restored with the reopening of theComstock/Mountain Lion mine by Palladon Ventures, Inc. The company,based in Salt Lake City, is a junior exploration and developmentbusiness focused on redeveloping the iron mines at Iron Mountain. It'sportfolio has exposure to gold and precious metals throughexploration-stage projects in Utah, Nevada and Argentina.

Once the iron mines are back in production, which is anticipatedlater this year, Palladon will be selling 2 million metric tons of ironore a year to China. The projected jobs and tax revenue that will berestored to the county is being welcomed to rekindle the iron worksthat will bring to fruition early settler John Urie's words spoken acentury ago and quoted in the book, "A History of Iron County:Community Above Self:" "Iron County, with her vast coal fields andinexhaustible amount of the best iron ore in the world, is destined ...to be a vast business center. It needs but the magic touch of money,railroads, and business tact."

For decades, the mines havesymbolized the county's heritage, industrial strength and economicvitality. When the mines closed, as they have repeatedly over theyears, they did not take with them Iron County's character ofperseverance and faith. Those values have stood the test of time andare all the more strengthened with the renewed mining production ofiron ore that will eventually aid the United States by making a smalldent in the huge trade deficit the country has with China.

CedarCity/Iron County Economic Development Director Bryan Dangerfield said,"This is a significant project in our county's history, and we hope tobring iron back to Iron County."

We agree. The Asian nation'sinsatiable appetite for the metal and the ore used to make it bringswith it a strange twist to the local economy that has lamented the lossof jobs with outsourcing to countries abroad, including China. Itappears the cycle of the county's iron mining history is on the upswingand now will produce jobs for county workers whose families have workedthe mines for generations.

Palladon's reopening of the mines is amuch-welcomed business enterprise because it is a part of therestoration movement to bring balance between the imported and exportedgoods coming in and out of this country to and from China.

Withthe value of the dollar down and steel prices soaring, iron mining hasa promising future for Iron County and the entire state of Utah oncethe transportation element of shipping is solidified.

Whether thedemand is five years or five decades, Iron County is enroute toreturning to its founding mission of iron mining. That is history worthrepeating and worth celebrating.