By Nicole Walton
Republic Township, MI – Cleveland-Cliffs has sold the former Republic Mine. The 686-acre sale includes the pit and plant site, as well as property along the Michigamme River. Officials are not revealing the buyer or the purchase price. Mining at the site in Republic Township first began in 1871. Cleveland-Cliffs bought the mine in 1914 and operated it until 1926. The site reopened for low-grade iron ore mining in 1962, and the mine continued to run until 1981, when work was suspended. The mine was permanently closed in 1996. Since that time, plant structures have been removed and environmental reclamation has taken place. CCI officials say the sale does not include any of the 2,300 acres that make up the Republic Wetlands Preserve.