Salt Mining Under Lake Erie

[RedMF40]

I watched this some time ago, found it fascinating. Mining rock salt for roads far under Lake Erie. Residents of Ohio might recognize the segments from their morning tv news program.

 

[bradley martin]

The largest underground salt mine in the world operates under Lake Huron at Goderich, Ontario. It extends out several miles under the lake. Lake freighters are loaded at the port there where the mine shaft is. There is another large salt mine at Windsor, Ontario that operates far below the Detroit River. There used to be a salt mine across the river from it just south of Detroit, but it ceased operations decades ago.

 

[MarkB_MI]

The largest underground salt mine in the world operates under Lake Huron at Goderich, Ontario. It extends out several miles under the lake. Lake freighters are loaded at the port there where the mine shaft is. There is another large salt mine at Windsor, Ontario that operates far below the Detroit River. There used to be a salt mine across the river from it just south of Detroit, but it ceased operations decades ago.

There used to be a salt mine across the river from it just south of Detroit, but it ceased operations decades ago.

The Detroit mine has been back in operation since 1999.

Detroit Salt Company

 

[jhwis]

I have seen programs on this before. It is very interesting. Apparently the result of much of North America being part of a vast inland sea at one point in the past.

 

[BarnyardEngineering]

There is a lot of salt mining just East of here. American Rock Salt has a plant in York NY, and they've undermined under a good portion of Livingston County, NY. Back in 1994 they had a major collapse in the Retsof Salt mine that created two 50' deep sinkholes, and caused a bridge on a main highway to collapse..

 

[40Mule]

The Dow chemical company was started in Midland Mi near Saginaw Bay in the late eighteen hundreds by pumping salt brine out of a well from these same formations. They first produced bleach. The Petosky stone found on beaches here is a fossilized coral from those inland seas. Saginaw Bay stretched west to West Branch Mi in ancient history. Glacier melt formed the sand ridges called moraines that run through here. Marl deposits were also used to make cement and added to soil in farming.

 

[caterpillar guy]

Lots of brine wells in MI some used for dust control on the county roads across the state and I'm sure they use it for other purposes too. The Salt mine near Deriot is in business or was since they loaded some shaker screens out of Durand MI to go down there in pieces then assembled in the mine never to come back out. I was there waiting when they loaded them that night.

 

[DoubleO7]

There are old salt mines under southeast Michigan that are now dry storage facilities.

 

[RedMF40]

There is a lot of salt mining just East of here. American Rock Salt has a plant in York NY, and they've undermined under a good portion of Livingston County, NY. Back in 1994 they had a major collapse in the Retsof Salt mine that created two 50' deep sinkholes, and caused a bridge on a main highway to collapse..

I'm surprised at how dry it is in the mine. And they must have great confidence that the ceiling is thick enough and strong enough to work safely down there. Especially when they are setting off explosives to open up new areas.

 

[RedMF40]

The Dow chemical company was started in Midland Mi near Saginaw Bay in the late eighteen hundreds by pumping salt brine out of a well from these same formations. They first produced bleach. The Petosky stone found on beaches here is a fossilized coral from those inland seas. Saginaw Bay stretched west to West Branch Mi in ancient history. Glacier melt formed the sand ridges called moraines that run through here. Marl deposits were also used to make cement and added to soil in farming.

It's interesting to think what the landscape must have looked like in prehistoric times. Hard to imagine.

 

[moresmoke]

It's interesting to think what the landscape must have looked like in prehistoric times. Hard to imagine.

Tree stumps in western ND. The weather has certainly changed. Don’t hardly get enough rain to grow grass anymore.

 

[john in la]

Ask the people of Lake Peigneur what happens when some oil rig miss calculates and drills a oil well into the top of a salt mine.

 

[bradley martin]

The Detroit mine has been back in operation since 1999.

Detroit Salt Company

Thanks, Mark. I was not aware of that.

 

[Gary Reif]

We have salt mines in several areas in central Kansas.

 

[sotxbill]

Got to wonder why sea salt is healthier than regular salt?? Gonna put that "little girl with the umbrella" out of business?

 

[DannyE]

We have salt mines in several areas in central Kansas.

I was down in salt mine in Hutchinson, Kansas, 600+ feet down, great tours very interesting mostly road salt, about 75 mi east the mines are 700+ ft and food grade. Dan

 

[RedMF40]

Ask the people of Lake Peigneur what happens when some oil rig miss calculates and drills a oil well into the top of a salt mine.

I remember hearing about that. Dramatic event, amazing no one got hurt.

 

[Brendon-KS]

I was down in salt mine in Hutchinson, Kansas, 600+ feet down, great tours very interesting mostly road salt, about 75 mi east the mines are 700+ ft and food grade. Dan

I certainly agree - the tour of the Hutchinson mine is really interesting. If I'm remembering right there is a McCormick W-4 or W-6 down there on display that was used to pull wagons around years ago. Once a piece of machinery goes down (which must be done in pieces to fit in the elevator) it never goes back up. They said that if something were to be returned to the surface it would rust immediately due to all the salt dust embedded in it but the dry air in the mine prevents that down below.