Dry Valley/No. Rasmussen Ridge Mines

Kiewit provides contract mining services for the Conda Phosphate Operations near Soda Springs, Idaho. The objective of the mining services contract is to provide between 2 million and 2.3 million tons of phosphate ore per year from the Dry Valley Mine and the North Rassmussen Ridge Mine at an annualized strip ratio ranging from 3:1 to 5:1 cubic yards of waste to a ton of ore. The mining process involves topsoil stripping and salvage and the removal of waste burden by drilling and blasting, ripping, loading, hauling and placement for regrade. The phosphate ore is selectively mined and stockpiled near the tipples prior to screening and loading into rail cars for delivery to the Conda Plant.

Kiewit operates and maintains the mining equipment fleet consisting of a 26-cubic-yard front shovel, six 150-ton end dump trucks, an 18-cubic-yard mass excavator and six 100-ton end dump trucks.

The phosphate is one of three major crop fertilizer nutrients, nitrogen, phosphorus, and potash, commonly designated as N-P-K on your bags of lawn fertilizer. The fertilizers are used to replace soil nutrients that are lost following each harvest and to promote plant growth and flowering. The use of fertilizers to maintain crop production has become a necessity to feed the world population.