Lawmakers announce $1 million grant for Nevada mine workers

Thursday, July 15, 1999 | 9:29 a.m.

Broken Hill Proprietary announced in June that they would be closing their mines in Nevada because of low copper prices.

"The closure of the BHP mine affected nearly one-fifth of the workforce in Ely and its impact can be felt across White Pine County," Sen. Harry Reid, D-Nev., said in a written statement. "This funding will aid hundreds of local miners by providing them with assistance and training to re-enter the job market."

Sen. Richard Bryan, D-Nev., and Congressman Jim Gibbons, R-Nev., also worked towards setting up the emergency Department of Labor grant.

One-third of the grant will be released to the state Department of Employment Training and Rehabilitation, with the rest available once the department has developed a project plan.

The Robinson mine 310 miles east of Reno and the 400-employee Ely State Prison are the county's biggest employers.

The closure will lead to the layoffs of more than 400 employees, the most since the 1,200 layoffs caused by the 1979 departure of Kennecott Copper Corp. from the county, county officials have said.

The 1997 opening of the Ely-area mine helped spur an economic recovery in rural White Pine County, whose economy has struggled since Kennecott's pullout two decades ago.