Jump to content

Detroit salt mine

Coordinates: 42°17′09″N 83°08′59″W / 42.2858°N 83.1497°W / 42.2858; -83.1497
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

The Detroit salt mine is a salt mine located 1,100 ft (340 m) below Detroit, Michigan.[1] The mine opened in 1910 and covers 1,500 acres (610 ha) underground.[2] In the beginning, the leather and food industries were the primary customers. Today, road deicing salt is the primary product.[3]

History

[edit]

Rock salt was discovered in 1895. The Detroit Salt and Manufacturing Company was formed to extract the salt. The company went bankrupt before finishing the shaft down to the salt. A new company was formed and the shaft was completed in 1910.[3] A second larger shaft was completed in 1925. The first shaft was relegated to hauling workers and materials.[3] By the late 1950s, the company operated through both shafts, which are about 1100 feet deep.[4] The mine was closed from 1983 to 1998, when production was restarted to produce road deicing salt.[3] In October 2010, the Detroit Salt Co., LLC, was acquired by the Kissner Group of Canada for an undisclosed price.[5]

See also

[edit]

References

[edit]
  1. ^ Russ, Morgan (June 16, 2022). "The secret city beneath our feet: Inside Detroit's epic salt mines". www.clickondetroit.com.
  2. ^ Duggan, Daniel (October 18, 2010). "Detroit's underground rock salt mine sold". Crain's Detroit Business. Retrieved December 22, 2014.
  3. ^ a b c d "History of The Detroit Salt Mine". The Kissner Group. Retrieved December 22, 2014.
  4. ^ Disposal, National Research Council (US) Committee on Waste (6 August 2017). "DISPOSAL OF RADIOACTIVE WASTE IN SALT CAVITIES". National Academies Press (US).
  5. ^ "2010 Minerals Yearbook" (PDF). Minerals.usgs.gov. Retrieved 2017-08-09.
[edit]

42°17′09″N 83°08′59″W / 42.2858°N 83.1497°W / 42.2858; -83.1497