Highland Valley Copper plans to shut down the Bethlehem concentrator within two months of the planned May, 1989 start-up of the relocated Highmont mills at the expanded Lornex concentrator. The company said it hasn’t yet made a decision regarding the future of the Bethlehem assets.
Highland Valley Copper is a partnership formed in July, 1986 to combine the copper and molybdenum mining and milling assets of Cominco Ltd. (TSE) and Lornex Mining (VSE) in the Highland Valley district of British Columbia. Early this year, the Highmont Mining Company joined the partnership by contributing certain of its assets in the valley.
The company said it will meet with union representatives to discuss a smooth and efficient start-up of the expanded Lornex concentrator complex and the shutdown of the Bethlehem operation in order to maintain the seniority rights of affected employees. The centralization of milling facilities, along with mine plan revisions, is expected to result in a loss of about 100 jobs, but the company said the staff cut back will be cushioned by attrition, voluntary retirements and the need for additional maintenance people in the relocated facilities during the start-up and run-in phase which will continue into the fall of 1989. — 30 —
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