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Oregon Road Conditions & Cams Email Story to a Friend July 18, 2005 Since You Asked Bare patch near I-5 is remnants of nickel mine I drive north on Interstate 5 frequently, and I’ve noticed a long treeless ridge off to the west as I drive through the area around Riddle. It looks much more barren than the rest of the surrounding hills, which are mostly timbered. Can you tell me why it’s so bare out there? — Bill D., Grants Pass That would be the old Hanna nickel mine you’re looking at, Billy. That’s what Jake Young says, and he should know. He’s run Jake’s Auto Center in Canyonville, (just south of Riddle) for 35 years, and he’s lived his whole life in that area. Most folks around Riddle know the mine. For years it was the only source of the silvery metal in the United States and a major employer in Douglas County. The Hanna Nickel Co. opened the mine in 1954 on Nickel Mountain, a 3,500-foot ridge west of Riddle. The mountain held large deposits of garnierite (a green silicate of nickel). Advertisement The mine operated under several owners before it closed for good in 1998, a victim of global competition and sophisticated recovery procedures that made it possible to recover nickel more cheaply from other sources, such as scrap metal. By the time the mine closed, it was producing less than 1 percent of the nickel used by the United States. These days, scrap metal yields more nickel than all the nickel ores mined around the world, according to data compiled by the National Safety Council. Nickel is still an important element for many basic manufacturing processes. It’s used in metal alloys, magnets and even batteries (commonly known as Ni-Cad cells, they include both nickel and cadmium, another rare metal). What you see when you’re driving north on Interstate 5 are the scars left by the removal of millions of tons of ore over more than four decades. Mail Tribune Home | Local News | Sports | Business | Obituaries | Life | Opinion AP News | Archives | Site Map | Community | Classified Copyright © 1997-2005 Mail Tribune, Inc. All rights reserved. Privacy Policy | Terms & Conditions | Website Feedback www.bingo.com Home Security Systems Trunks, Footlocker dvd-r Distance Education Computer Security Ztech Media Hosting Sports Equipment Online Casino Reviews Student Loans tcg student loan consolidation Online Pharmacy online casino Myspace Home Equity Loans Windermere Van Vleet Rogue Valley Travel Reservationstogo Hotel Reservations Southern Oregon Loans Online Casino News Natto Kinase Nattokinase Casino Gambling Sites Budget Website Templates Investments & Loans Advertisement s