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Kennecott Utah Copper to Close the Bingham Canyon Mine Visitors Center for Winter


WEBWIRE

Less than two weeks left to visit the popular tourist and school destination; admission is $5 per car


(South Jordan, UT) – Kennecott Utah Copper’s world-class Bingham Canyon Mine Visitors Center will close for the season at 7 p.m. on Sunday, Oct. 28, 2012. Due to the Visitors Center being located 6,340 feet above sea level, Kennecott closes the facility during the winter months and re-opens in spring when road and weather conditions improve. The Visitors Center is scheduled to re-open in April 2013. Those wishing to learn more about Kennecott’s operation are encouraged to visit the Visitors Center prior to Oct. 28.

The Visitors Center is located on the edge of the 2 3/4 mile-wide Bingham Canyon Mine, offering visitors an exciting view and first-hand opportunity to see the mine’s operations. Visitors can watch giant electric shovels and two-story-tall haul trucks carry more than 300 tons of rock. Visitors also have the opportunity to learn about Utah’s rich mining history and the mine’s plan for the future through exhibits, materials and videos inside the 6,000-square-foot facility.

At the end of each year, all tax deductible entrance fees collected from visitors are donated by the Kennecott Utah Copper Visitors Center Charitable Foundation to selected non-profit organizations in the Salt Lake Valley that assist underprivileged individuals.

The Visitors Center is located at approximately 12300 South and 8400 West. Hours of operation are 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. daily until Sunday, Oct. 28. Visitors will not be admitted through the entrance gate after 6 p.m. Please check the website during cold weather conditions to assure the roads are open.

2012 tax deductible admission fees are:

$5 for passenger vehicles/mini vans
$25 for mini-tour buses
$50 for tour buses
No Charge - For school buses, veterans’ group tours, boy scouts and girl scouts in uniform, and vans from county operated senior citizen centers. Those arriving with school groups will need to fill out a form in advance and bring it to the entrance gate. The form can be found at www.kennecott.com.
Weather or temporary closure information can also be obtained at www.kennecott.com.

About Kennecott Utah Copper
As the second largest copper producer in the United States, Kennecott Utah Copper comprises nearly 25 percent of U.S. copper production. KUC’s Bingham Canyon Mine is one of the top producing copper mines in the world with production at more than 19 million tons. In 2011, KUC produced 237,300 tons of copper, 379,400 ounces of gold, 3.2 million ounces of silver, 30 million pounds of molybdenum, and 878,300 tons of sulfuric acid. Rio Tinto purchased the Bingham Canyon Mine and related facilities in 1989 and has invested more than $2 billion in modernization since the purchase of KUC’s operations. KUC has also spent more than $350 million on the cleanup of historic mining waste and $100 million on groundwater cleanup. Rio Tinto employs 2,810 people, influences 15,000 indirect Utah jobs and annually spends about $1 billion in the state of Utah in wages, benefits, taxes and purchases from nearly 1,000 Utah area businesses. www.kennecott.com

About Rio Tinto
Rio Tinto is a leading international mining group headquartered in the United Kingdom, combining Rio Tinto plc., a London and NYSE listed company, and Rio Tinto Limited, which is listed on the Australian Securities Exchange.

Rio Tinto’s business is finding, mining, and processing mineral resources. Major products are aluminum, copper, diamonds, energy (coal and uranium), gold, industrial minerals (borax, titanium dioxide, salt) and iron ore. Activities span the world but are strongly represented in Australia and North America with significant businesses in South America, Asia, Europe and Southern Africa.
www.riotinto.com



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