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REGIONAL NEWS - U.S. & CANADA 10 E&MJ; • MAY 2018 www.e-mj.com the meeting on April 10 of the Marathon County Board of Supervisors that the county is willing to try and find a balance between regulation and economic oppor- tunity for its residents, by unanimous- ly approving an ordinance that ensures mining is conducted in a safe, sound, and responsible manner," said Chantae Lessard, director, social performance and engagement, Aquila Resources. In December, shortly after the passage of Assembly Bill 499, Aquila reported it was still "far too early" to know if its Reef property or a property on the polymetallic Bend deposit in Taylor County, Wiscon- sin, would "develop into mines." At the time, the company reported it was focus- ing resources on permitting for a stake on the Back Forty zinc/gold deposit, locat- ed partly in Wisconsin but legally under Michigan's jurisdiction. Other potentially mineable deposits in Wisconsin include the Crandon deposit, near the city of Crandon, and the Lynne deposit, in Oneida County. Mackay Ventilation Lab Dedicated to Newmont The Ventilation Lab at the University of Nevada, Reno, was recently dedicated to Newmont Mining for its generous contribu- tions to further education efforts and ad- vance new mining techniques. More than $250,000 has been donated to the Mack- ay School of Mines in the College of Sci- ence to ensure students are equipped with the knowledge and skills for joining the Nevada workforce in the mining industry. "Our ventilation teaching lab is with- out a doubt, one of the best in the coun- try," Chair of Mining and Metallurgical Engineering Manoj Mohanty said. "Asso- ciate Professor Charles Kocsis has done an excellent job in upgrading the lab with Newmont's generous support of more than $200,000 over the last several years." The Mackay School of Mines complet- ed updates to the Mine Ventilation Lab in 2016, with the help of the Newmont contributions. Updates to the lab allow students to learn and practice with a physical model of ventilation-on-demand. Ventilation-on-demand is a system that allows mines to operate more effi- ciently by delivering air flow to the areas where activity is present. Not only does it cut down on operating costs, it also offers more health and safety precautions for working conditions in the mines. Hecla Settles Lucky Friday Unfair Labor Practice Charge On April 30, Hecla Mining Co. announced it has reached an agreement with the re- gional director of the National Labor Re- lations Board (NLRB) to settle the unfair labor practice charge filed by the United Steelworkers (USW) in March 2017. This settlement resolves the charge, without any admission of fault, penalties, or pay- ment of back wages, the company said. This action does not resolve the key differences in the ongoing labor dispute, nor put the two sides closer to a contract, the company added. As part of the settlement, Hecla has rescinded the terms of its Last, Best and Final Offer implemented in March 2017. Since then, Hecla and United Steelwork- ers' representatives have met more than 20 times, exchanging proposals and reaching an agreement on various lan- guage changes. A Revised Final Offer was presented to the USW representatives in December, which remains on the table. USW Local 5114 went on strike on March 15, 2017, at the mine. The pre- vious six-year contract between Hecla Mining Co. and the USW expired in April 2016. During negotiations, both sides reached an impasse in February 2017. Hecla has reportedly proposed changes to miners' health care, scheduling and bonus pay. The union said Hecla down- played how the contract demands would impact jobs at the mine and the com- pany's proposal created safety risks by removing team ownership of responsible bid miners from the equation. Hecla's production guidance remains unchanged with no material production expected from the Lucky Friday mine in 2018, Hecla said. The Lucky Friday mine produced more than 3.5 million oz of sil - ver in 2016. Labrador Iron Ore Mine Project Receives Approval The Canadian government has granted environmental approval for Howse Min- erals Ltd.'s proposed open-pit iron ore mine project in Labrador to proceed. "The meaningful consultation with Indigenous groups and the public, in combination with expert advice across federal depart- ments, ensured a thorough environmental assessment process," Environment and Climate Change Minister Catherine McK- enna said. "Projects such as this one play a vital role in [the Canadian] economy in creating jobs and economic growth." Located 25 km northwest of Scheffer- ville, Quebec, the mine plans to extract approximately 46 million metric tons (mt) of iron ore at the site over a 15-year period. A student tinkers with the ventilation-on-demand model in the Newmont Ventilation Lab at the Mackay School of Mines in Reno, Nevada.