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Tech opens mine to students – The mining program is the only one of its kind in the country

December 6, 2003 /

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Pete Knudsen dean of the Montana Tech college of mines, presented a highly mineralized, mounted rock to U.S. Sen. Conrad Burns, R-Mont., during ceremonies Friday at the entry to the Chief Joseph decline on the Butte Hill.

By Carmen Winslow of The Montana Standard

The rock, a token of appreciation for Burns’ funding efforts, came from the Chief Joseph ore vein. Burns garnered $1.6 million in funding to help Montana Tech launch its Underground Miner Training Program.

The program will train students in a 15-week program that includes classroom and hands-on instructions in several of Butte’s underground mines, including the Chief Joseph decline and the Lexington Tunnel. Students will learn to operate jackleg drills, heavy underground mining equipment and explosives, as well as mining safety procedures. The first class of students is scheduled to start Monday. Displaced workers may qualify for nearly full-scholarships, and paying students also are welcome.

The program is the only one of its kind in the country, officials said.

http://www.mtstandard.com/articles/2003/12/06/newsbutte/hjjgihjdjchjgf.txt