polymet mine
minnesota health experts agree: a health impact assessment of the polymet mine plan is needed .
northmet water modeling package, large table 3 (mine site): groundwater data summary – mine site surficial aquifer; large table 4 (mine site): groundwater data summary – mine site bedrock; large table 5 (mine site): groundwater data analysis – mine site surficial aquifer; and large table 6 (mine site): groundwater data analysis – mine site bedrock, december 2014 .
polymet' s proposed mine in northeast minnesota would generate water pollution for up to 500 years .
polymet’s sulfide mine proposal is currently in a public objection period. click here to send your objection .
polymet mine opponents to lay out objections to new review - kstp - press conference regarding polymet held at senate office bldg. 11 / 13 / 2015
• march 27: enviro groups' latest suit slams' sweetheart' polymet deal • jan. 9: forest service oks land swap for proposed polymet mine
polymet mine site groundwater model calibration and predictions, great lakes indian fish and wildlife commission, jun 2015 .
the group duluth for clean water on tuesday reiterated its call for a contested case hearing on the permit to mine for the proposed polymet copper mine near hoyt lakes .
the plaque shown below is on display at the flambeau mine site. it describes the flambeau mine as ‘the newest and smallest copper mine in the world. ’ if they couldn’t get it right at ‘the newest and smallest copper mine in the world, ’ how are they going to get it right at the much larger mine proposed by polymet ?
should polymet’s proposed mine be compared to the flambeau mine? , stephanie hemphill, minnpost, december 18, 2015 (plus comments submitted by laura gauger and others) .
polymet is a canadian corporation with a proposed
northmet
mine they' d like to open near babbitt, minnesota. they propose an open pit sulfide ore mine .
for a 2015 side - by - side comparison (fully referenced) of the flambeau mine (wisconsin) and the northmet / polymet proposal (minnesota), please click on the following link: flambeau mine – vs – polymet .
for a side - by - side comparison (fully referenced) of the flambeau mine (wisconsin) and the northmet / polymet proposal (minnesota), please click on the following link: flambeau mine – vs – polymet (november 2015) .
justin mattson and steve koschak each live within a few miles of the proposed polymet copper mine and processing plant near hoyt lakes .
the state has signed off on the environmental review, but it is unlikely polymet will build a mine in the near future .
“polymet names brad moore executive vp - environmental and governmental affairs, ” polymet press release, jan 24, 2011 .
polymet mining corporation has proposed a sulfide mine called the “northmet project” between babbitt and hoyt lakes, minnesota. this project proposes to develop an open - pit mine to extract copper, nickel and other metals .
two wastewater treatment plants to treat polluted water from the mine site and the tailings basin would operate when the mine is running and would continue operating after the mine closes. treatment will be needed at the mine site for a minimum of 200 years and at the plant site for a minimum of 500 years .
comments on polymet mine site contaminant northward flowpath and groundwater model calibration, great lakes indian fish and wildlife commission, august 2015 and june 2015 .
polymet' s mine would initially be much smaller than many of the open pit copper mines in states like arizona and utah. but it' s bigger than two copper - nickel mines in the midwest. the flambeau mine in wisconsin operated during the' 90s and produced about 362 million pounds of copper over the life of the mine — what polymet hopes to produce in just five years of mining. one other midwestern copper - nickel mine is currently under construction in michigan' s upper peninsula. the eagle mine owned by lundin mining is being built underground, where mining would take place for eight years. that mine would produce more nickel but less copper than polymet .
• story: polymet an economic opportunity or too environmentally risky? • map: sites of proposed copper - nickel mines • photos: ramping up to mine copper • timeline: polymet' s history in minn .
300 jobs to rule them all, one mine to bind them ...
the mine still faces a public comment period before gov. mark dayton and federal agencies will make final decisions about whether to issue polymet its needed permits .
in december 2013, the minnesota department of natural resources (dnr) published the “supplemental draft environmental impact statement” for polymet’s proposed mine. the public submitted a record number of comments for an environmental review document in minnesota, 58, 000. 98% of these comments opposed the mine as proposed. the final environmental impact statement for polymet’s sulfide mine proposal was officially published on november 13th, 2015 .
still, the mining industry was not able to keep the water clean and prevent long - term pollution problems at wisconsin’s flambeau mine (“the newest and smallest copper mine in the world” and a mine that operated under laws branded as “tough” by the industry) .
maccabee said that’s cheaper than a treatment plant at the mine, but it increases the risk of spills and makes adequate long - term water treatment after the mine closes less likely .
on june 21, 2016, the hibbing area chamber of commerce (hibbing, mn) sponsored a presentation about wisconsin’s flambeau mine entitled: “the flambeau mine: a 30 year history on environmental protection and stewardship at a nonferrous metallic mine. ” please click here for flyer .
u. s. rep. rick nolan has introduced a bill to force completion of a land swap needed for the proposed polymet copper - nickel mine in northeastern minnesota .
gov. mark dayton has decided not to conduct a human health assessment of the proposed polymet copper mine project, agreeing with state regulatory officials that the study isn’t needed .
the polymet mine represents a new frontier for the iron range: a mine for copper and nickel, rather than the iron that gave it its name. but it’s also an old frontier: a battle between economic and environmental interests with deep meaning for all sides .
the flambeau mine was a copper / gold / silver mine developed in a massive sulfide deposit near ladysmith, wisconsin in the 1990s. owned and operated by rio tinto of london and its kennecott subsidiary (dba flambeau mining company), the mine was quite small by today’s standards .
polymet says the lawsuits are, in a way, a sign of progress for the company since they indicate the mine is nearing the end of its review and permitting process .
there’s no way to know for sure. a few factors could lessen the mine’s economic impact :
still, litigation can mean delays. especially lawsuits expected later in the process, when the state department of natural resources makes its decision whether to grant polymet a permit to mine .
polymet' s proposed mine is located near babbitt and the processing plant would repurpose u. s. steel' s former plant in hoyt lakes. click map for larger version .
smartphone users, chemotherapy patients, environmentalists and people who care about minnesota’s economy all have something in common: they should join us in supporting the proposed polymet mine in northeastern minnesota .
a decade after polymet mining corporation’s symbol first appeared on the american stock exchange, minnesota has at last signed off on the bitterly fought environmental review of its proposed copper nickel mine .
the mine site is located within the superior national forest. is mining allowed on national forest land ?
yet mattson and koschak have vastly different views on what minnesota' s first copper mine might mean .
details of the underground mine models. minnesota environmental quality board, 1978. (cn - 111 )
mattson of aurora is the teacher. he' s in favor of the proposed polymet mine that he says will create jobs and keep families on the range and kids in his classroom .
the plan for the polymet processing plant at hoyt lakes. click for larger version .
polymet mine in hoyt lakes, minn. has been mired in a permitting battle for over eight years and the issue has become politicized in the state and particularly in the eighth congressional district .
palcich worries that polymet is just the first mine in line. if it ultimately goes forward, she said, other copper - nickel mines exploring in the region could follow in its wake .
details of the open pit mine model. minnesota environmental quality board, 1977. (cn - 110 )
polymet is a junior mining company headquartered in vancouver, canada. the company has never operated a mine before, and is backed financially by the swiss company glencore. glencore has a significant financial stake in the company, and has an exclusive agreement to sell the mine’s metals on the global commodities market .
nolan, who represents northeastern minnesota, has been working to remove obstacles to both polymet and the proposed twin metals mine near ely, saying the minerals can be mined safely without harming the environment .
but two of the lawsuits filed allege the government undervalued the land it traded to polymet .
polymet ceo jon cherry at one of his company' s buildings near aurora, minn .
what are the risks of polymet? the assured impacts and risks are numerous, and accrue, not surprisingly, to the public, not the operators of the mine. here are just a few :
minnesota law requires the company to put up enough money to cover the cost of closing a mine, and this one will require indefinite water treatment long after the copper and nickel is gone. and polymet would be the state’s first copper - nickel mine, which carries far greater pollution risks than the taconite industry .
the dnr has received polymet’s permit to mine, wetland replacement plan, water appropriation, dam safety, and public waters work permit applications. you can find these applications using the navigation menu above or below .
i consent to receive email updates from polymet. i understand i can unsubscribe at any time .
to eliminate that conflict, polymet has proposed a land exchange with the forest service as part of the eis. under the exchange, the company would trade several privately owned tracts of land inside national forest boundaries in st. louis, lake and cook counties, for the land where polymet wishes to mine .
minneapolis (ap) — an environmental group says the design for the proposed polymet copper - nickel mine in northeastern minnesota has changed in significant ways that require regulators to conduct a fresh environmental review of the revisions .
the partridge river curls around the mine site, and flows into the st. louis river and then into lake superior
problems and approaches in the revegetation of mine wastes. minnesota environmental quality board, 1978. (cn - 001 )
the forest service agreed to trade 6, 650 acres of federal land to polymet where it wants to dig its open pit copper mine near babbitt and hoyt lakes, on the far northeastern edge of the iron range .
ehlinger also said mine discharges into the partridge river could contaminate colby lake, which supplies drinking water for the town of hoyt lakes, and recommended that polymet participate in developing a contingency plan should colby lake become polluted .
the plan for the northmet mine site at year 20, when extraction operations are projected to end. sulfides in waste rock at the mine site will need to be contained and treated for an additional 200 years. click for larger version .
polymet is proposing something minnesota has never allowed before. the company’s own computer models show that hundreds of years after the mine closes, water seeping into groundwater and flowing into streams and rivers at the site will be polluted with heavy metals and sulfates. unless all of this water is captured and treated, the mine will pollute surrounding waters. minnesota law requires that a closed mine site be “maintenance free, ” but polymet’s mine plan calls for hundreds of years of monitoring and expensive water treatment. worse, these models don’t even show that the pollution stops after 500 years. they just stopped modeling at 500 years. in other words, the pollution could go on for even longer .
four lawsuits have already been filed that could potentially delay the polymet copper - nickel mining project proposed for northeastern minnesota. and several more are expected if the state eventually grants the mine the permits it needs to begin construction .
polymet plans a $ 600 million open - pit mine and processing center near hoyt lakes — employing 300 people for 20 years or more — mining and processing copper, nickel, platinum, palladium and possibly other valuable metals .
wisconsin copper - sulfide mine proves the need for caution, laura gauger, duluth news tribune, august 16, 2016 .
moore said he could not speculate about the future, but that the company’s intention is to build and operate a mine .
environmental groups say the contested case hearing should be automatically called by the dnr in this case because of the many controversial elements of the polymet proposal, what would be the state' s first - ever copper - nickel mine .
wisconsin’s flambeau mine has come and gone. yet, it continues to be cited in various discussions, both pro and con, over the development of new mines in the lake superior region like the proposed polymet / northmet project .
© polymet mining, inc. | 444 cedar street, suite 2060 | st. paul, mn 55101
he also pointed out that polymet held up to the most extensive and lengthy environmental review in minnesota history .
minnesota governor mark dayton visited the gilt edge mine superfund site in october 2015 to learn more about unfunded cleanup from sulfide mines .
marcotty, josephine .
iron range mine could pollute water for up to 500 years: state' s first copper - nickel mine would require billions of dollars in long - term cleanup, regulators say .
star tribune, october 7, 2013 .
to see how some of the same corporate “players” at polymet have been or are currently involved with the eagle project in michigan’s upper peninsula, the resolution copper project in arizona and / or the flambeau mine in wisconsin, please click here .
the cost of mining could go up in those years, which would be bad for polymet, davis added. but metals prices could also go up, which means a delay could work to polymet' s advantage .
under the agreement, polymet would get 6, 650 acres of federal land it needs in the superior national forest in return for about the same amount of private land that would be added to the national forest. polymet holds the mineral rights to the federal land where it wants to mine near babbitt, but can’t proceed without owning the surface rights .
the duluth complex is considered one of the biggest copper - nickel deposits in the world. polymet' s mine would tap into just a small part of that, with the possibility of expanding later. polymet' s goal is to produce 72 million pounds of copper, 15 million pounds of nickel and 106, 000 ounces of precious metals annually .
if some of the polymet jobs were filled by people moving into the county, the mine would have a smaller effect on local unemployment, though the amount of money put into the local economy in the form of wages would be the same .
still, davis said the rich copper ore asset in the ground that polymet controls isn' t going anywhere .
but polymet spokesman bruce richardson said the changes “do not have significant environmental effects” and shouldn’t reopen the review process .
a minnesotan’s guide to the polymet environmental impact statement, the reader, issue 866, november 12, 2015 .
whatever amount they come up with, polymet will have to decide whether it’s worth the investment, dayton said .
that assessment comes at a critical time for polymet’s proposed $ 650 million open - pit mine near hoyt lakes. as the proposal moves into its next state - permitting phase, state regulators are wrestling with how to cement a financial agreement to protect minnesota taxpayers from the risks inherent in copper mining — catastrophic accidents, mine closure and water treatment that could last for hundreds of years .
a team of financial consultants hired by the state of minnesota says its doubtful that polymet mining corp. can come up with the hundreds of millions of dollars necessary to protect taxpayers against long - term environmental risks from its proposed copper - nickel mine .
polymet officials say that as planned, its open - pit mine would not produce acid drainage. and the state’s 10 - year environmental review, completed last year, also concluded that as proposed it could be built and operated without producing acid runoff .
davis says that that’s not necessarily true. if polymet’s northmet mine could produce copper at a low price, then a big miner like glencore might find it attractive, he said. “glencore has to stay in the mining business, ” he said .
brad moore, polymet’s vice president for governmental affairs, said small and large mining companies can and do find ways to fund financial assurance packages and project construction. polymet is in the process of doing that now, he said .
waterlegacy says changes in the mine’s tailings basin and wastewater treatment facilities, and a new disclosure of how much water would be pumped from the mine, obligate federal and state agencies to take a closer look — a move that could cause further delays in an already long process .
polymet officials say the company has spent more than $ 200 million on that environmental review and permitting process since 2006 .
but that’s what mining companies always say, and i’ll admit that polymet’s credibility with me took another hit recently when officials tried to downplay the company’s interest in having the hoyt lakes plant handle ore from other future mines in the area, whether operated by polymet or by other companies that would do their own digging and pay polymet to do the processing .
in january 2018, the minnesota dnr issued a draft permit to mine, which is now open for public comment through march 6, 2018 .
statewide, the economic impact of one new mine would be relatively small, lowering the statewide unemployment rate by just 0. 04 percentage points .
impacts of fugitive dust emissions from a model copper - nickel mine and mill. minnesota environmental quality board, 1979. (cn - 012 )
besides waiting on the land exchange, polymet is in the process of applying for the state and federal permits it needs .
we will develop the mine in two distinct phases. phase i involves development of 225 million tons – nearly one - third of northmet’s known resource – into an operating mine processing 32, 000 tons of ore per day. it also includes rehabilitating the former ltv steel mining company processing plant .
— fluctuating prices of copper and other minerals could lead polymet to suspend or scale back operations for part of its 20 - year projected life - cycle. other mines in the iron range have recently announced idlings, putting hundreds of people temporarily or permanently out of work. richardson said he couldn’t predict the future but said the polymet mine would be “profitable” today even with current low copper prices .
to watch a youtube video about the myth of the “environmentally responsible” flambeau mine, click here: laura (furtman) gauger interview, june 2009 .
polymet plans to process 32, 000 tons of ore per day. that means, each day, to produce 240 tons of metal, the company will generate 76, 800 tons of waste rock, that will either be stored at the mine site, or in the tailings basin. or, put another way, polymet will move 320 tons of rock for every ton of metal it produces .
the global economic slowdown also means that steel, oil and equipment are cheaper, meaning the mine could be built at low cost, and then be up and ready to go when commodity prices rise again, said brad moore, polymet’s vice president of environmental and regulatory affairs .
—the original plan included a water treatment facility at the mine site near babbitt to reduce sulfates, metals and other pollutants before the wastewater gets pumped to the processing plant 9 miles away near hoyt lakes. the new plan is for pipelines to carry untreated water from the mine to the plant for treatment .
polymet says it would create 360 full - time jobs once it’s fully operational — and not minimum - wage jobs, either .
there' s a big economic benefit for polymet and he world at large by not leaving this resource unused in the ground .
while polymet has advanced to the permitting phase, the obama administration last year decided against renewing mineral rights leases needed by the proposed twin metals mine near ely, citing the potential threat to the nearby boundary waters canoe area wilderness. the trump administration has stood by that decision so far .
will polymet deposit $ 85 million up front with the state of minnesota? doubt it; $ 85 million is about 1 / 2 of polymet' s net assets. of course, if annual cleanup is $ 6 million, then roughly double that figure. (by the way, if polymet did deposit that money, we' d probably just spend it like the tobacco bonds. )
moore also said polymet has proved its ability to raise capital through the $ 300 million it has invested in the project to date .
the answer, of course, would be to require polymet to pay big $ $ while the mine is in operation. $ 3. 5m for 500 years is $ 1. 75b (assuming no inflation), so the bare minimum starting point should be $ 87. 5m annually .
unspoiled lakes and forests are the attractions that bring customers to their business, and the koschaks say copper mining jeopardizes that. while peak employment may hit 400 at the mine, the environmental impact statement predicts that the majority of workers will move out of the area when the mine is played out in about 20 years .
estimation of particle size distribution: run - of - mine waste rock and primary crusher products. minnesota environmental quality board, 1978. (cn - 089 )
meador, ron .
meet twin metals, and the biggest north - woods mine you' ve never heard of .
minnpost, february 13, 2014 .
maccabee said that would cut costs partly because the buttressing wouldn’t have to be built right at the start of construction. raising the example of the disastrous 2014 tailings dam collapse at the mount polley gold - copper mine in canada, she said the change would increase the risk of a failure at polymet .
polymet officials said the final number has yet to be negotiated, but the company has proposed setting aside $ 332 million for financial assurance .
this should stop polymet ,
said elanne palcich, a retired teacher from chisholm and a member of save our sky blue waters .
the main permit the company needs from the dnr is called the
permit to mine .
dnr officials say permitting decisions are made on the technical merits of the project and whether or not it meets state rules and standards. ultimately the dnr commissioner, currently tom landwehr, makes the decision on whether to grant permission to mine .
polymet owns the mineral rights to the northmet deposit near babbitt, but the u. s. forest service does not believe that gives the company the right to surface mine. the agency says that would be inconsistent with the weeks act, the law under which the superior national forest originally purchased the land .
copper mining carries different and greater environmental risks to water than minnesota’s long - standing taconite industry. polymet’s open pit mine and processing plant would operate for 20 years, but it would require decades, or even centuries, of expensive water treatment to protect the lakes and rivers that ultimately drain into lake superior .
anderson, lewis clarke .
the copper nickel controvery, or, can we mine without a mess? .
the minnesota volunteer, november - december, 1975 .
and, they say in a report filed with the state, there is no certainty that polymet will find the deep pockets it will need .
dayton in recent weeks has come under pressure to get out of the way of the polymet project, including threats from republican leaders in the house to hold up a special legislative session that would extend unemployment benefits for laid - off miners if the governor didn’t vow not to block polymet .
industry analysts, however, say that for most “junior” mining companies like polymet, the mission is not mining. it’s to win the permits .
kuipers said minnesota should ask for $ 934 million up front to pay for at least 500 years of water treatment and mine closing costs two decades from now, he said .
polymet still needs to find money to build the mine, estimated at about $ 650 million, plus another $ 72 million to fix old pollution problems at the tailings basin and the as - yet unknown burden of financial assurance. moore said the company is talking to potential investors and “interest in our project is strong. ”
most lawsuits filed so far challenge the land swap forest service officials approved in january, a deal that' s critical to polymet' s plans .
proposed sites to be preserved that are located on the copper - nickel mine site area in the superior national forest. minnesota environmental quality board, 1976. (cn - 067 )
“this is the hope with polymet — that someone will buy them out, especially if the environmental objections have been de - risked, ” said kaiser .
but the commissioners said the issues raised by medical professionals already have been covered and that time is running out to conduct new reviews of what would be minnesota’s first - ever copper mine .
a polymet mining official explains in december 2013 how the company will use rod mills, one of which is at right, to crush metal - bearing rock from 1 / 2 - sized pieces to small pieces of gravel as part of the process of extracting copper, nickel and other metals from the planned mine. (file / news tribune )
polymet wants to mine copper, nickel and precious metals for 20 years at a site located just north of hoyt lakes in the superior national forest. the northmet deposit is part of what is known as the duluth complex, which stretches from about 150 miles north of duluth all the way to the canadian border. polymet would build three open pits and blast and drill to get to the ore containing minerals. ore would be put in rail cars and shipped seven miles west to an old iron ore processing plant — ltv steel — which closed in 2001. polymet is repurposing the facility to process up to 32, 000 tons of copper and nickel per day .
“a minnesotan’s guide to the polymet environmental impact statement, ” laura gauger, the reader, issue # 866, duluth, minnesota, november 12, 2015 .
polymet is an effort to mine low - grade ore (less than 1% of what is mined is valuable mineral, the rest is waste) on the cheap. three hundred and sixty jobs for 20 years are in no way comparable to centuries of toxic pollution threatening jobs and livelihoods for our children' s great, great, great grandchildren .
for those of you who were not able to get off work to travel to hibbing for the tuesday lunchtime talk ($ 18 admission fee), deer tail press (duluth, mn) is pleased to offer a free online alternative entitled: “the flambeau mine: a 30 year history on environmental degradation and misleading the public at a copper sulfide mine. ” please click here for flyer .
while i agree that creating new jobs in northeastern minnesota would be an important outcome of the mine, the disasters of a leak could go on for decades, if not centuries. a leak or a mine closure due to economic conditions could hurt the economy in the long term — far more than any near - term benefit. therefore, copper - sulfide mining should not be approved in minnesota
that could test the commitment of glencore, the giant swiss mining conglomerate that holds a third of polymet’s stock and which has been its primary lender up to now .
mining minnesota (a mining trade organization promoting the polymet project) and its executive director frank ongaro have been called out for providing false and misleading information to minnesota lawmakers and the public regarding the environmental performance of the flambeau mine (reader weekly, issue # 821, december 31, 2014; cover by bruce woodman, duluth, mn; duluthreader. com) .
no. and no other watershed either. the polymet project is in the lake superior watershed so none of the water that will be discharged from the site would ever enter the boundary water canoe area wilderness lakes or streams. polymet’s commitment to protecting water quality and complying with all applicable water quality standards remains steadfast regardless of the watershed .
the group first made its request one year ago, saying a neutral administrative law judge should hold hearings on the details of the permit to mine now being drafted by the minnesota department of natural resources .
mine critics don' t question the technology itself, but they' re skeptical as to whether polymet will be able to successfully capture all the water at the mine site and from the tailings basin that will then be treated by reverse osmosis. for example, they say the bedrock under the tailings basin is fractured, and argue that some water will escape the site before it can be treated by reverse osmosis. they also say the technology is very energy intensive, and produces a byproduct known as
brine
that has to be disposed of properly. finally, they argue that the technology is very expensive to run, and question who will pay to operate the plants if they' re needed for up to 500 years or even longer after the mine is closed .
as a chemistry teacher, he knows the world needs the minerals underground between ely and aitkin for wiring, circuit boards and much more. cars, computers and electric lights all need copper. nickel is used in rechargeable batteries, including those in hybrid cars. platinum, another precious metal polymet hopes to mine, is a crucial component in catalytic converters that reduce pollution from cars .
“we’re talking about middle - class, living - wage kind of jobs, ” said bruce richardson, a polymet spokesman. “these are jobs that build communities and families. ”
the permits themselves then become an asset that polymet could sell to another company. the betting has long been on glencore, which already owns about a third of the company .
polymet is a small canadian mining company whose only asset is the proposed mine site and the old taconite processing facility and tailings it owns on the iron range — and they are of value only if the company succeeds in getting a state mining permit, the consultants said. that means the financial protections would have to come from a company or partner with much deeper pockets, they said .
another suit from the center for biological diversity challenges a
biological opinion
issued by the u. s. fish and wildlife service, and contends the mine would destroy critical habitat for threatened lynx and wolves .
“projects like this end up being mothballed, ” said john kaiser, an industry analyst who specializes in “junior” mining companies like polymet. “this is happening all across the world. ”
maccabee cited an independent review by a canadian mercury expert who found the mine and processing center near hoyt lakes would create a significant risk of raising toxic methylmercury levels in local waterways, including the st. louis river .
the consultants’ report underscores the fine line minnesota must walk in the coming months. if it asks for too little from polymet, state taxpayers and the people downstream from the mine could pay the price — tens of millions of dollars in future cleanup costs. if it asks for too much, a long - awaited project seen as an economic boon to the iron range could be stopped in its tracks .
i think these anti - mining groups are trying to cause delay. because they see polymet moving closer to being a permitted operation ,
said mining minnesota executive director frank ongaro .
before proceeding with the proposed northmet mining project, polymet must obtain a number of required permits and approvals. for this project the dnr is responsible for the following state permits and approvals :
polymet mining will use the ltv steel mining facility, which shut its doors jan. 3, 2001, near hoyt lakes, minn. , for its copper - nickel processing plant .
rainwater that comes in contact with any waste rock, tailings or the mine will be collected, contained, reused to the extent possible in the processing operations, and eventually treated before it is ever discharged from the property .
koschak, an ely native whose family has owned river point resort on birch lake since 1944, says the copper mine' s potential for long - term environmental damage isn' t worth the short - term economic gain .
the dnr is expected to release the draft permit later this year. the permit will include nearly all of the key elements and details of how the company will mine and how it will keep potential pollution out of the environment .
this undated file photo shows the ltv steel processing plant near hoyt lakes, minn. , which was taken over by polymet mining corp. to use as a copper - nickel processing plant .
various polymet process documents (e. g. , the final environmental impact statement and earlier renditions of the report) are posted here. please scroll down to the bottom of the page .
polymet will be a historical footnote in 200 years. the poison will still be with our descendants, who will not think highly of the venal and shortsighted public officials who approved this travesty .
global climate change has us underwater and roasted within 100 years. if that proven science is wrong, perhaps in 500 years we' ll have a method to extract the mine products safely while cleaning the water at the same time .
so far the dnr and polymet officials say the request is premature — that a contested case or evidentiary hearing must be based on the details of the permit, which isn' t yet finalized .
paula maccabee, an attorney for waterlegacy, said the plans changed between march 2016, when the dnr approved the final environmental impact statement, and when polymet started submitting permit applications in recent months .
—the design of the tailings basin dam. polymet had proposed to use a technique called “cement deep soil mixing” to stabilize the soil in the basin area and reduce the risk of a dam failure .
i’m willing to be persuaded that newer mining technologies and stronger environmental commitments could make the polymet project a dramatic departure from hard - rock mining’s terrible history of lasting harm in this country and others .
water control and treatment methods have been used successfully in mining and many other industrial and municipal applications for decades. they will be used at the polymet site to meet all applicable water quality requirements .
this week, dnr officials said the agency is committed to making the permit - to - mine process and financial assurance proposals
public in a timely way during the permitting process
but said it' s still working out details for this. the agency also said polymet will not set conditions for financial assurance and added that financial assurance proposals will be reviewed with
great rigor ,
with outside financial and scientific experts brought in .
the u. s. forest service has authorized a land exchange with polymet to consolidate our respective land ownerships. the forest service will acquire 6, 690 acres of private land from polymet to become part of the superior national forest; we will acquire 6, 650 acres of surface land over the mineral deposit we already control. for more details about the land exchange, download our land exchange booklet .
more than $ 300 million already has been invested in the project, a large share of that for environmental review and permitting. we also must provide bankruptcy - proof financial assurance, the provisions of which are in the draft permit to mine .
the environmental review that minnesota approved last week predicts that closing the mine will cost $ 200 million, plus $ 3. 5 million to $ 6 million annually to treat the water that flows from the site — perhaps for hundreds of years .
polymet has indicated it could expand the project beyond what is described in the environmental impact statement. but the eis only covers the 20 - year plan and is specific about how much area would be mined and how much waste would be generated. if polymet wants to expand the mining site or increase its production and waste output, a new environmental study would be conducted to assess the impact of that expansion .
polymet has no experience operating mines, but their largest financial backer, glencore, does. glencore is a financial giant in mining, and has a terrible reputation regarding labor, human rights and the environment .
polymet would be a huge consumer of electricity, much of it coming from the dirtiest coal power plants in minnesota. polymet’s electricity supplier, minnesota power, got 85% of their power from coal in 2013. polymet would emit 707, 342 metric tons of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere every year. this would contradict minnesota’s goal to reduce carbon emissions. the minnesota next generation energy act set a goal of reducing minnesota’s greenhouse gas emissions 15% from 2005 levels by the year 2015, and 30% from 2005 levels by 2025. minnesota is uniquely vulnerable to climate change, particularly the boreal forest of northern minnesota .
as of june 2015, the agencies responsible for the polymet environmental review have released an internal, preliminary version of the “final environmental impact statement. ” this internal version is not available for public review and comment .
i can’t imagine whom they thought they were kidding with that obvious dodge. on the other hand, the story served to underline this key reality that should be kept in mind as the polymet process goes forward :
a computer model is at the heart of predictions about water pollution from polymet. a water model is a representation of how water moves around a site. the polymet water model assumes that there is little groundwater moving through the site. the result is that the model shows water moving very slowly, and pollutants sticking to soil instead of moving with the water. dnr hydrology data show that the polymet water model significantly understates the amount of water flowing in the nearby partridge river. if this information is wrong, predictions about water pollution are in question. if the model is incorrect, and there is more water flowing through the site than it assumes, the polluted water from pits and waste rock will move more easily through the soil, and reach lakes and rivers more quickly. the water could also carry more pollutants than the polymet model predicts .
polymet mining will meet or exceed applicable federal and state water quality standards and regulations, including the strict minnesota sulfate standard for wild rice. the water it discharges back into the environment will be both swimmable and fishable .
a portion of that is to make sure that we have very good science, a thorough process and review to withstand the challenges that typically come with a proposed mine project ,
said moore .
we built that into our thinking and our work .
minnesota’s iron range has been buffeted for decades by the rise and fall — but mostly fall — of the mining industry. now, the controversial polymet project has fired up hopes that mining could be on its way back .
“the epa review provides feedback and guidance, ” said jon cherry, polymet’s chief executive officer. “ we will continue to work with the [ agencies ] to ensure they receive additional data or information that might be required. ”
glencore, the swiss giant that has provided $ 175 million in loans and investments to keep polymet afloat and contracted to buy its copper, last week reported losses of $ 5 billion for the year, and is shedding assets. the world’s third - biggest copper producer, glencore has closed one of its mines and has said it expects to cut annual production by one billion pounds by 2017. that’s 14 times the amount that polymet would produce at peak production .
in other words, nobody yet knows how long water at the mine and plant could require treatment, and nobody will know until water at the sites has been subjected to actual treatment and monitoring. but some number had to be selected for the impact assessment to go forward .
they' re demanding an evidence - based hearing without any evidence. they are reacting to something that hasn' t happened yet,'' said brad moore, polymet' s executive vice president of environmental and governmental affairs .
for those concerned about protecting the lake superior watershed from potential mining impacts linked to the proposed polymet project in northeastern minnesota, please feel free to make copies of the following bi - fold brochure and distribute to your friends and colleagues .
on the u. s. senate committee on energy & natural resources to hold hearings on the proposed transfer of 6, 650 acres of federal lands in the superior national forest to polymet, laura gauger, march 9, 2016 .
financial risk to future generations will be enormous. who' s to pay for active water treatment for centuries? what about leaks, spills and accidents? mine sites are the # 1 liability of the taxpayer supported superfund cleanups, with a bill exceeding $ 50 billion to date .
this undated photo shows the ltv steel processing plant near hoyt lakes, minn. , which was taken over by polymet mining corp. to use as a copper - nickel processing plant. (ap photo / mesabi daily news, file )
barring any lawsuits, polymet can then begin acquiring the more than 20 required federal, state and local permits to develop a mining operation. much of the information collected and analyzed in the eis will be incorporated directly into the permitting process .
that’s where polymet officials are staking their claim. the company’s financial projections could change somewhat as it updates its planning in coming months, moore said. but polymet’s most recent documents say that the old ltv taconite processing facilities near hoyt lakes — tailings basin, railroad line and crushing plant — that it acquired from cliffs natural resources will allow it to produce copper at $ 1. 05 per pound. that means the company could be profitable even at today’s low prices, moore said .
state law requires mining companies to commit money up front to pay for any maintenance, water treatment or other cleanup that might be needed after the mine closes. this financial assurance can come in many forms, including cash, bonds and trust funds. state officials would decide when to officially close the mine and
release
the mining company from responsibility. if pollution were detected after closure, the state would be responsible for taking action to clean it up. whether the state would have to cover those expenses would depend on what kind of financial arrangement had been made with the mining company .
this land exchange should never have gone through. it could have stopped polymet in its tracks long ago because the forest service should have done its duty. that is why we chose to do this, to hold the forest service accountable .
the beginning of the process is identical to iron ore mining, which is why polymet is proposing to reuse ltv steel' s old taconite facility. giant mills crush the ore to a fine powder, each particle about the diameter of a human hair .
for 300 jobs over 20 years? who could possibly think this is worth it? only deranged champions on the iron range, and of course, polymet, who stands to flee the state in 20 years or so with a real bundle of profits .
speaking only for myself now, i can say that’s not the case. i could readily support a mining project that meets these tests, and i think it' s possible that polymet will do so – though much remains to be seen, of course .
framing the polymet debate as the economy versus the environment presents a false choice. the real choice is whether jobs and tax revenue are grown within our state’s borders with strict environmental protections, or whether the economic benefits accrue elsewhere, potentially with weaker environmental safeguards .
ore from the mine will be transported approximately 8 miles west by rail to existing facilities formerly held by ltv steel mining company, which we own and will modernize. we will use existing crushing facilities combined with new milling and flotation circuits to produce copper and nickel concentrates that will be shipped via the existing railhead .
in northmet, which proposes to mine and process copper, nickel and other precious metals on land now within the superior national forest, minnesotans may be approaching a huge and high - stakes test of something very like the insurance idea, at sites within or near the state' s most treasured boreal wilderness areas .
polymet controls the mineral rights underneath that land, but not the surface rights. in exchange, the company would give the federal government 6, 690 acres of private land scattered around the region, land that by law is required to be roughly equal in value.
the polymet mine or northmet mining project is a proposed mining and processing operation in the northmet deposit in northeastern minnesota . the project is controversial with potential environment effects being a major concern . 
the polymet mine or northmet mining project is a proposed mining and processing operation in the northmet deposit in northeastern minnesota. the project is controversial with potential environment effects being a major concern.
the polymet mine or northmet mining project is a proposed mining and processing operation in the northmet deposit in northeastern minnesota. the project is controversial with potential environment effects being a major concern.