# data[].attributes.body
After all of my research, I have determined that if all the regulations are followed, I am in favor of the Northmet Mine. The best way to make sure that all regulations are followed is to inform the public about this information.

I decided that my audience for my final outcome is the Young Adults of Minnesota, because whatever good or bad things that happen will affect them the most. Also, several other similar mines in the area are in the planning stages. Though none of these other mines have been close to being approved, this issue is only to continue over the next few decades.

To reach my audience, I decided that a website would be the best way. Websites through Weebly are inexpensive to develop, they are also free for anyone who has access to the internet to get the information. I decided to use my most credible and informative sources to develop information on both the pros and the cons to the mine. I understand all of the concerns about the mine and agree with them. The hope is whoever looks at this website will become concerned and aware of the Minnesota Mining Issues, and become interested in voicing their opinion to local politicians. Hopefully this can provide a better future economy in Minnesota without compromising our most precious natural resources.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
The Boundary Water Canoe Area (BWCA) is a large piece of land in Northern Minnesota that consists of many lakes,where many cancers enjoy canoeing, fishing, and swimming in these waters. This area is...

# data[].attributes.body
This article is important because it discusses how the Northmet Mine will bring jobs to a region of Minnesota that is struggling Financially. (Remember, MPR NEWS is a credible source). This is a major reason why so many people are for the mine.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
The closed LTV Steel taconite plant is abandoned near Hoyt Lakes, Minn. The prospect remains of returning the site to life as part of Minnesota's first copper-nickel mine owned by PolyMet. Jim Mone | AP 2016

PolyMet Mining appears to be nearing the end of one of the most contentious environmental and regulatory battles Minnesota has ever seen.

With Friday's release of a draft permit to mine, it appears Toronto, Canada-based PolyMet is all but cleared to move ahead with Minnesota's first ever copper-nickel mine, a controversial project that would carry over 300 permanent jobs and major environmental risks.

There are years of news to delve into with this story, but here are four of the most important parts at play today.

1) If it's built, it could be the start of a new industry in northeastern Minnesota. Minnesota has never had a copper-nickel mine before, so how state regulators handle PolyMet could set precedent for future proposals. The other major copper-nickel mine plan in Minnesota comes from Twin Metals, a subsidiary of Santiago, Chile-based Antofagasta. The Trump administration gave that plan new life last month when it reversed an Obama administration's decision to refuse to renew Twin Metals' crucial mineral leases.

2) Copper-nickel mines like this carry huge environmental risks. PolyMet's proposal is for a massive open pit mine near the Iron Range town of Hoyt Lakes. The company is after metals that are embedded in rock that contains sulfide, although the sulfur content at PolyMet's site is much lower than at many western mines that have polluted. When this sulfide is exposed to air and water, it can produce sulfuric acid, which could leach metals and other pollutants into the water in a pristine part of the state. The mine would also destroy nearly 1,000 acres of wetlands that Polymet would have to replace. The company would also need to cover legacy pollution issues from the old LTV Steel taconite mine and processing plant it would repurpose for the copper-nickel mine.

3) The mine would bring jobs to an economically struggling region. The Iron Range's economy has been ravaged by the steel industry's decline. So, many people in the region have welcomed copper-nickel mining as a way to diversify its natural resource-based economy. PolyMet is projected to create 360 permanent jobs over two decades, plus other construction and spin-off work.

4) PolyMet has never operated a mine before, and it has a lot of money to raise before it could begin construction. Some consider PolyMet to be a "junior mining company" because it hasn't actually developed any mining projects. And this northern Minnesota project carries a $650 million price tag. PolyMet has raised over $300 million so far, but it still has hundreds of millions of dollars to go. Plus there's the over $1 billion in "financial assurances" PolyMet would need to have in place if it were to go bankrupt or become unable to operate the mine. If that happened, state law requires bankruptcy proof funds the state could access to close and clean up the mine, and manage long-term water treatment.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
PolyMet Mining appears to be nearing the end of one of the most contentious environmental and regulatory battles Minnesota has ever seen. With Friday's release of a draft permit to mine, it appears Toronto, Canada-based PolyMet is all but cleared to move ahead with Minnesota's first ever copper-nickel mine, a controversial project that would carry over 300 permanent jobs and major environmental risks.

# data[].attributes.body
This article is important because it discusses on how the sulfur can be neutralized to prevent acidic damage. This assists the pro side for the Northmet mine because it shows a very practical way to help prevent groundwater and other forms of pollution long-term. The other important part of this article is that it discusses another recent copper-nickel mine in Wisconsin that used these techniques and followed regulations, to this day no pollution has been detected. One notable thing about this particular mine in Wisconsin is that it is near a river, which was not polluted at all during the mining process and since the mine has been shut down. One thing to consider is MinnPosts credibility. Another article on my padlet is from MinnPost, and it discusses why the mine should never happen. Because there are two contradictory articles, this shows that MinnPost is trying to get as many perspectives on this story as possible.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
The dispute over mining Minnesota's world-class mineral deposits is drawing big crowds to the public hearings on the new Supplemental Draft Environmental Impact Statement ( SDEIS ) on the proposed NorthMet Project. All those minerals - including copper, nickel, cobalt, gold and platinum - lie in a band, meandering from southwest to northeast, adjacent to the Archean granite of Minnesota's Iron Range. They arrived a billion years ago in the magma during northern Minnesota's active volcanic history. They are concentrated out of the magma by liquid sulfur, which acts as a "collector," because these elements prefer the sulphide liquid to the magma by a factor of 1,000 times more.

One of the proposed Minnesota mining ventures is by PolyMet Mining Corp. of Canada. PolyMet's group includes Swiss commodity and mining giant Glencore, which now owns 18 percent of PolyMet shares. Glencore and PolyMet will need to be financially accountable for shutdown and monitoring of the mine site after closure.

PolyMet's project expects annual metal production of 39,000 tons of copper, 9,000 tons of nickel, 400 tons of cobalt, 22,000 ounces of platinum, 87,000 ounces of palladium and 13,800 ounces of gold from its lease. A 2009 714-page draft environmental impact statement ( DEIS) on the company's NorthMet Project was released by the Minnesota DNR and the U.S. Corps of Engineers. That DEIS notes that any effluent from the project will end up in the drainage areas of the Partridge and Embarrass Rivers. Those rivers flow south to the St. Louis River and Lake Superior, not north to the Boundary Waters. The DEIS was generally positive about the project, and it suggested that if all of PolyMet's commitments are met, there is no serious impact on the environment. The Environmental Protection Agency disagreed and called the draft statement inadequate.

General agreement with '09 report

A new 1,000-plus page document has just been released by the MN DNR, Corps of Engineers, and U.S. Forest Service in response to EPA concerns. The new SDEIS generally concurs with the 2009 report, stating, "The project is not predicted to result in any significant changes to groundwater and surface water flows when compared to existing conditions." The DEIS notes that federal, state, and local taxes from the project would total an estimated $80 million annually. During operations, wages and rents would be about $230 million per year, and $332 million would come from sale of the extracted minerals.

The state of Minnesota owns more than 6,000 acres in the region, and Minnesota's schools could collect at least $2 billion in royalties in the coming decades if these new mining projects proceed. This state property is known as "school trust lands.'' Under the Minnesota Constitution, income from such lands is earmarked for the Permanent School Fund, which contributes about $60 per pupil to every school district. An analysis by the DNR projected that the school fund, with assets of $720 million, could more than triple in size with these new royalties over 20 to 25 years.

Environmentalists are lined up in opposition to the mining, viewing the projects as a serious threat to water quality in the entire region, including the Boundary Waters. Project advocates include most area mayors who want those new, quality jobs on the depressed Iron Range.

The Flambeau Mine example

An example of an effective sulfide mine is the smaller Flambeau Mine at Ladysmith, Wis. Kennecott was the operator of this open-pit copper sulfide mine that operated 140 feet from the Flambeau River in the 1990s. During the mining operation, all of the surface area drainage and pit pumping water went into a treatment plant that successfully purified the water so it could be safely returned to the environment. Upon closure, to avoid long term acid rock drainage (ARD), the pit was backfilled with the waste rock and 30,000 tons of limestone to neutralize any ARD that forms. The Flambeau Mining Co. did not have any violations of its permits in construction, operation and closure in 1997.

In 2012, world energy demand burned more than 2 tons of coal, oil and natural gas for every person on the planet. This sent more than 30 billion tons of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere. World governments are forcing carbon-free renewable-energy programs, like wind turbines and more power lines. This is causing increased demand for nonferrous metals, of which the world now produces just 35 annual pounds per capita. Their price is rising as shortages develop.

Many NorthMet Project opponents raise the question of whether the mining companies can be trusted to safeguard Minnesota's environment. A better question could be: "Can we regulate them?" I suggest that we can.
Rolf Westgard is a professional member of the Geological Society of America and is guest faculty on energy subjects for the University of Minnesota's Lifelong Learning program. His 2013 fall-quarter class was "Minnesota's Volcanic Geologic History; from Mountain Building to Minerals."
WANT TO ADD YOUR VOICE?

If you're interested in joining the discussion, add your voice to the Comment section below - or consider writing a letter or a longer-form Community Voices commentary. (For more information about Community Voices, email Susan Albright at salbright@minnpost.com.)

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Well-regulated sulfide mining can be done effectively

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
The dispute over mining Minnesota's world-class mineral deposits is drawing big crowds to the public hearings on the new Supplemental Draft Environmental Impact Statement ( SDEIS ) on the proposed NorthMet Project. All those minerals - including copper, nickel, cobalt, gold and platinum - lie in a band, meandering from southwest to northeast, adjacent to the Archean granite of Minnesota's Iron Range.

# data[].attributes.body
In a similar mine in Montana, there were many (possibly hundreds of geese) that landed in acidic water from the mine and killed them. This is a huge concern for Minnesota because of the mines that have been in the planning stages are near the Boundary Water Canoe Area, a place where people from all over the country and the world come to enjoy the natural beauty of this area.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks is advising hunters to wait to consume snow geese that were harvested after November 28 in the Butte and Dillon areas.

The precaution comes several days after thousands of snow geese landed in the toxic water of the Berkeley Pit, killing many of them.

FWP recommends that hunters process and freeze the birds at this time and not to eat them until FWP knows if or how this event has affected the edible portions of the birds.

Montana Resources and Atlantic Richfield Company officials (responsible for the Berkeley Pit mine) are asking people who find living or dead snow geese in the area to contact Butte-Silver Bow Animal Control at 406-497-6527. After hours, contact Montana Resources directly at 406-496-3233.

Montana Resources has had a mitigation plan in place for the past two decades to keep waterfowl out of the pit ever since 340 geese died after landing in the pit in 1995.

"That plan has been very successful, but it has never had to deal with the enormity of what we saw last Monday night, that is more birds than we see in five years combined," said Mark Thompson of Montana Resources.

Montana Resources is continuing to investigate this incident and update its mitigation plan to keep wildlife out of the pit water.

Atlas Obscura provides the following information about the Berkeley Pit:
The pit is one mile long by half a mile wide, and over 1780 feet deep, 1000 of which are filled with acidic water with high concentrations of heavy metals and toxic chemicals, including copper, iron, arsenic, cadmium, zinc, and sulfuric acid. The iron-rich water near the surface is reddish, yielding to a vibrant lime-green hue not far below the surface, where copper concentrations are higher. If you were to drink large amounts of this lovely concoction it would kill you by corroding through your digestive system.
The website provides this information:
Throughout the history of mining in Butte, pumps were used to dewater the underground mines and, later, the Berkeley Pit. On April 23, 1982, the Atlantic Richfield Corporation (ARCO, today owned by British Petroleum), the owners of the former Anaconda Company holdings, announced that they were suspending their Butte operations. Along with the announcement, the underground pumps in the Kelley Mine were shut down. The result: the underground mines and the Berkeley Pit began to fill with acidic water. The great advantage of the Berkeley is that it acts as a terminal sink: all contaminated ground and surface waters from Butte's East Camp flow to it and are captured in it. Since 1982, ARCO, Montana Resources, the EPA, the Montana Department of Environmental Quality and the local community have risen to the unique challenges of managing the Pit. PREVIOUSLY: Thousands of geese land in Butte's toxic Berkeley Pit

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Hunters advised to wait to consume geese killed in Butte-Dillon areas

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks is advising hunters to wait to consume snow geese that were harvested after November 28 in the Butte and Dillon areas. The precaution comes several days after thousands of snow geese landed in the toxic water of the Berkeley Pit, killing many of them.

# data[].attributes.body
This is a photo taken by NASA showing an image of a copper-mine in Arizona, it also shows a sort of pollution.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
smithsonian.com

Splatter of colors Seen high up from outer space Pretty like a rainbow
-- Natalie, age 8, Illinois

Mining doesn't generally result in a prettier landscape, but it seems when you view the landscape through NASA's ASTER instrument on the satellite Terra, beauty easily emerges. The image above is the Morenci open-pit copper mine in southeast Arizona. The mine is the largest producer of copper in North America. (The author of the poem is a Girl Scout; NASA partnered with some scouts last year and challenged them to write poems based on the agency's images.) NASA highlights this and other images from its vast library in the NASA Images blog, which was begun earlier this year.
Check out the entire collection of Pictures of the Week on our Facebook fan page.

Like this article?
SIGN UP for our newsletter

About Sarah Zielinski

We Recommend

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Picture of the Week--Open-pit Copper Mine

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
smithsonian.com Splatter of colors Seen high up from outer space Pretty like a rainbow -- Natalie, age 8, Illinois Mining doesn't generally result in a prettier landscape, but it seems when you view the landscape through NASA's ASTER instrument on the satellite Terra, beauty easily emerges.

# data[].attributes.body
This is similar to the one "Bad History of Mining", only from the Minnesota Historical society... The important part of this particular article is that it is from a very credible source, the Minnesota Historical Society. That means that I gain credibility by using this source instead of

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
United States of America v. Reserve Mining Company | MNopedia

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
After the discovery of taconite in the late nineteenth century, scientists struggled to find ways to extract iron ore from this sedimentary rock, which contains 25 to 30 percent iron. The process that was eventually developed involves crushing the hard rock into a powder-like consistency.

# data[].attributes.body
According to PolyMet Mining, the sight will release less mercury into the air and water per year than the average rainfall in that area releases.

# data[].attributes.body
- The Copper-Nickel mine is in a large area of sulfite, exposing this could easily create sulfuric acid, which would be devastating to the environment. A mine in a similar situation in Montana ended up killing several flocks of geese. This article is from the National Audubon Society, an organization that started and still primarily focuses on the study of birds and keeping their habitats healthy. Because of their many years of research they are a credible source, but they are biased in favor of the environmental side of issues such as the Polymet Northmet mining project.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Sign in with your credentials to access the EBSCOhost premium information resources provided by your subscribing institution.

# data[].attributes.body
This article discusses previous events that Minnesotans had with Mining and Pollution. In the Early-Mid 1900's, there was a taconite processing plant in northern Minnesota along Lake Superior. They discharged their liquid waste into the lake. As the years went by, a delta began to form from that waste, eventually adding 1/3 of a mile of land. Eventually in a one-year trial the company was sued by local citizens for the environmental and health damages. This article shows some of the struggle between keeping mines and mining processing plants open so people can keep their jobs, and the desire to protect both humans and the environment.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
In 1955, the Reserve Mining Company began operating in Silver Bay, Minnesota. The processing plant for Reserve's taconite mine was situated right off the shore of Lake Superior, but in the 25 years that the company was operating, the distance between the processing plant and water's edge slowly grew. A vast delta had been created by the accumulation of the fine waste-rock that Reserve was discharging into Lake Superior. Their processing plant crushed taconite rocks to allow for the extraction of iron they contained, but two-thirds of the taconite were discharged in the form of tailings. By 1980, the delta had grown to such a degree that the processing plant was over one-third of a mile from the edge of Lake Superior.

When the plant first began operating, few questioned the discharging of materials into Lake Superior. Silver Bay was a mining town and the majority of its citizens relied on Reserve as their primary source of income. But by the late 1960s, residents and local sportfishing groups were detecting changes in the water. Their efforts to get the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency involved got the attention of the Environmental Protection Agency, who intervened and took Reserve to court in 1973.

This trial put the community of Silver Bay at odds. Reserve's operations were tied to the livelihood of many in the community, but at the same time, the polluted water of Lake Superior posed an invisible threat to the lives of everyone. Results from federally-funded scientific studies revealed the damage the tailings discharge had caused: fish populations were harmed by the increase in water turbidity, while the presence of fibrous minerals-described in research findings as "asbestos-like" and thought to be carcinogenic-were detected by EPA chemists. Soon, the town's struggle for economic well-being was squaring off with the town's struggle for public health.

Reserve's trial lasted over a year, with appeals from Reserve keeping the case open until 1980 when they developed holding ponds for the tailings. The EPA and concerned citizens won out in a landmark case, which established regulations on industrial pollution. Reserve continued to operate for a few years before shutting their doors. Another company-NorthShore Mining-picked up where they left off, and they continue to utilize holding ponds to prevent tailings from entering the lake.

Reserve's pollution cannot be undone; the tailings dispersed in Lake Superior are irremovable. Decades after Reserve's trial, the delta remains-but it is different now. Plants have begun to grow, slowly turning the delta to soil. Local youth plant pine trees, turning this once unnatural space into a landscape that is part of the community. Embedded in the layers of the delta is the history of Silver Bay's mining conflict: the struggle of a torn community, the legal battle, and the invisible health hazards that came with Reserve's pollution. The long-term impact of the taconite tailings is still debated, but the presence of the delta is not. It is here to stay, a landmark of Silver Bay's history.

How to cite

Schuchhardt, Caitlyn. "Taconite Mining in Silver Bay: A Tale of Extraction and Accumulation." Environment & Society Portal, Arcadia 2015, no. 3. Rachel Carson Center for Environment and Society. https://doi.org/10.5282/rcc/6863.

2015 Caitlyn Schuchhardt
This refers only to the text and does not include any image rights.
Please click on the images to view their individual rights status.
ISSN 2199-3408
Environment & Society Portal, Arcadia

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Taconite Mining in Silver Bay: A Tale of Extraction and Accumulation

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
In 1955, the Reserve Mining Company began operating in Silver Bay, Minnesota. The processing plant for Reserve's taconite mine was situated right off the shore of Lake Superior, but in the 25 years that the company was operating, the distance between the processing plant and water's edge slowly grew.

# data[].attributes.body
Obviously against the mine, but the only sources against it are political bills for it, not scientific evidence.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
On Nov. 28, the U.S. House of Representatives passed the Superior National Forest Land Exchange Act of 2017 (HR 3115) [PDF], facilitating perpetual pollution of Lake Superior and the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness. Sponsored by Rep. Rick Nolan, HR 3115 has been received in the U.S. Senate; if attached to another bill it could slide through, selling Minnesota's birthright to the highest bidder with scarcely a whimper.

If it passes the U.S. Senate, HR 3115 would exchange lands acquired for watershed protection for use by the most water polluting industry on the planet. It would render the pending lawsuits against the PolyMet land exchange for its proposed NorthMet mine null and void, the people's right to seek justice in the courts stolen.

Where is the outrage? Minnesotans need to speak loudly, clearly - with the ballot if necessary - declaring they will not allow their representatives to turn our lake country into a sulfide mining cesspool. Water is becoming desperately scarce worldwide. Minnesota's clean - incredibly rare - wealth of freshwater is its future.

Two days after passing HR 3115, the U.S. House passed HR 3905, "Minnesota's Economic Rights in the Superior National Forest Act [PDF]," sponsored by Rep. Tom Emmer, Rep. Colin Peterson, and Rep. Jason Lewis (none of whom were elected by the people of the 8th Congressional District). HR 3905 delves even deeper into political and corporate machinations. By sponsoring federal legislation that would enable the sulfide mining industry to essentially call the shots in Minnesota, Emmer is showing how little he cares about process, or about all Minnesotans.

The title of HR 3905, Minnesota's Economic Rights in the Superior National Forest Act, is a misnomer. If it were really about Minnesota's economic rights, it would refer to the economic and strategic value of Minnesota's waters. It would address economic rights of those whose property values plummet and sales fall through, because buyers do not purchase lakeshore in watersheds haunted by the specter of sulfide mining. It would address the economic rights of those who established and invested in businesses dependent on clean water. It would highlight the rights of those whose health depends on maintaining the water quality of the area's sole source aquifer; it would not make the sulfide mining industry more important than the health of Minnesota's children. Nolan voted for HR 3905.

And Nolan and Emmer's joint venture to defund the U.S. Forest Service study of sulfide mining adjacent to the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness - Amendment 70 - is still lurking, attached within the Federal Omnibus Funding bill. Who in Minnesota would not want to know outcomes of risk assessments (especially for health), cost-benefit analysis, or cumulative impacts, all of which were incomplete or missing in PolyMet's Environmental Impact Statement? Evidently not Nolan and Emmer, and certainly not the sulfide mining industry.

This entire legislative onslaught has only one goal: to ram sulfide mining into Minnesota.

PolyMet would lead the assault as mile after mile of massive sulfide mines and reactive mining wastes pollute the greatest freshwater resources of the nation, in perpetuity.

Legislators who favor sulfide mining in Minnesota have long pointed to Utah as the example Minnesota should follow when it comes to the use of our School Trust Lands. Tragically, they have advocated using School Trust Lands to raise money for the education of Minnesota's children by permitting the very industry that could destroy the intellectual capabilities of those children.

Minnesota has the opportunity to choose a different future, while such a choice is possible. Utah has been ranked as one of the highest producers of toxic chemicals in the nation, primarily because of toxic releases from Rio Tinto Kennecott's Bingham Canyon copper mine. The two largest sources of toxic releases in the nation are the Bingham Canyon mine and Teck's Red Dog zinc mine in Alaska. Teck holds the largest sulfide deposit in Minnesota, adjacent to PolyMet.

PolyMet's hydrometallurgical process is essentially a chemical smelter. Think how easy it will be for Minnesota to top the nation's toxic list with an entire range of metallic sulfide mines. The link is PolyMet. The sulfide mining industry wants that permit, it wants that LTV plant, and then buyouts or consolidation will do the rest. And Minnesota can kiss its clean waters goodbye.

'The most fateful decision you will ever make'

The following comment was written by a Utah scientist, sent to the U.S. Forest Service in response to PolyMet's land exchange; I have his permission to quote from it.

Please, do not continue with the proposed outrage, the land exchange that would facilitate the sulfide mining district within the Eastern Superior FS District. As one who has spent a career, literally, from childhood in a sulfide/acid mining district known as Tar Creek in NE Oklahoma, and activism and management level employment in environmental engineering at Kennecott Utah Copper/Rio Tinto in the Salt Lake City, Utah, region in the years since 1992, I can testify to the sheer extreme acidity that is the inevitable result of sulfide oxidation, and the essential impossibility of reversing (reducing) that epic, endless, extremely toxic acidity ... the reality you will inevitably face throughout the sulfide mining district-forever!! The most fateful decision you will ever make is this one. Do not be tempted by the fraudulent claims asserted by PolyMet, and probably by other prospective mining companies, that "water treatment" can be accomplished by separation through reverse osmosis, separation of drinkable water from contaminants concentrated but not disposed of, according to announced plans. Don't buy it! All of the historic acid plume water (which is being "treated" in the Kennecott/Rio Tinto RO plant) and the much older, more distant acid plume under the Valley-bottom drainage, the Jordan River, is being "treated" by the horribly energy-consuming RO process, accompanied in both cases (from both RO plants) by direct piping to the Great Salt Lake, for direct disposal into Nature. The Great Salt Lake is one of the Western Hemisphere's most important migratory waterfowl and shorebird habitats, harboring more than five million per year, and as many as eleven million per year, about 250+ species, more than 100 species on the Endangered Species Act lists. Do mining companies care, at all? Not one bit. They deceptively claim that RO "treats" contaminated water, when all it does is separate permeate (clean) water from concentrate (concentrated contaminated) water. What is done with concentrate is, as they say, the entire ball game. What disposition of concentrate are you going to enforce? To what standards? Please, do not fall for this fraud.

I would add that the "sulfide/acid mining district known as Tar Creek" was the subject of a PBS documentary "The Creek Runs Red" (free to view online). The focus of the documentary, Picher, Oklahoma, no longer exists; only remnants of the town remain after the federal government paid people to voluntarily leave, deeming it too contaminated for residents.

A final irony

The day before the U.S. House voted on HR 3115, Nolan emailed his Monday Report to constituents. The subject line: "They're in serious trouble! The heading: "Saving Minnesota's Loons - Before It's Too Late." Nolan's Monday Report then went on to state, "Our children and grandchildren deserve to hear the same call of the loon that we have enjoyed all our lives."

On Tuesday, when HR 3115 passed the House, deliberately written to facilitate sulfide mining, the irony was palpable. Sulfide mining would destroy thousands of acres of habitat for loons in northeastern Minnesota, pollute lakes and streams, and create toxic pit waters, decimating loon populations throughout northeastern Minnesota.

Loons are an indicator species for mercury. So are our children. Sulfide mining releases of mercury and sulfur compounds to air and water increase accumulation of methyl mercury in the food chain. Loons, like humans, are at the top of the chain, and are at greatest risk. Our children and grandchildren deserve to be born without unsafe levels of mercury in their blood [PDF].

Sulfide mining is the most fateful decision Minnesota will ever make. Do not let anyone make it for you.
C.A. Arneson lives on a lake in the Ely area. WANT TO ADD YOUR VOICE?
If you're interested in joining the discussion, add your voice to the Comment section below - or consider writing a letter or a longer-form Community Voices commentary. (For more information about Community Voices, see our Submission Guidelines.)

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Sulfide mining: the most fateful decision Minnesota will ever make

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
On Nov. 28, the U.S. House of Representatives passed the Superior National Forest Land Exchange Act of 2017 (HR 3115) [PDF], facilitating perpetual pollution of Lake Superior and the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness. Sponsored by Rep. Rick Nolan, HR 3115 has been received in the U.S.

# data[].attributes.headline
MPR: "PolyMet offers state $544M if it couldn't pay for mine cleanup"

# data[].attributes.subject
MPR: "PolyMet offers state $544M if it couldn't pay for mine cleanup"

# data[].attributes.body
- The NorthMet will give the state of MN a little over half a billion dollars to insure that environmental cleanup will happen.
-  "The amount of financial assurance is calculated to cover the cost of closing and reclaiming the mine, in addition to long-term water treatment needed to meet state and federal pollution standards."
-  "And the other piece that's critically important is this mix of cash, and letters of credit, and bonds, they need to be bankruptcy proof." - Assistant DNR Commissioner Barb Naramore

Also, this article is from Minnesota Public Radio News, part of the National Public Radio Network, which is known for being a credible source of information.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
The closed LTV Steel taconite plant, which Polymet hopes to turn into its own facility. Jim Mone | AP 2016

Updated: 6:41 p.m. | Posted: 3:34 p.m.

PolyMet Mining has submitted an updated plan detailing how much money it plans to make available in the event it can't pay for the proposed mine's clean-up.

The so-called "financial assurance" is a major step in the company's more than decade-long effort to build the state's first ever copper-nickel mine in northeastern Minnesota.

Think of financial assurance as a damage deposit. A landlord hopes that deposit will cover any repairs needed after a tenant moves out.

The state of Minnesota hopes financial assurance would protect taxpayers from future cleanup costs at PolyMet's proposed mine and processing site near Babbitt and Hoyt Lakes, Minn., if the company were to go bankrupt or couldn't do the work itself.

The company's updated plan provides for $75 million during the first two years of construction. Most of that would cover legacy pollution issues at the old LTV Steel taconite mine and processing plant PolyMet plans to repurpose.

The financial assurance amount would bump up to $544 million when the mine opens and the potential costs for pollution cleanup rise.

Some of that will be cash - the application calls for $10 million in cash during the construction phase - but it's mostly a package of bonds and letters of credit.

The amount of financial assurance is calculated to cover the cost of closing and reclaiming the mine, in addition to long-term water treatment needed to meet state and federal pollution standards.

"You apply engineering standards and estimates to those numbers, and then you go and obtain the financial assurance instruments that will cover that," explained PolyMet CEO Jon Cherry. "That's basically how every state does it."

And then every year, the financial assurance amount is recalculated, and approved by the state.

"We believe this is the last thing that the state has been looking for before they can move forward and complete this process and then put it out for the public to comment on," said Cherry.

The Minnesota Department of Natural Resources will now review the application. Ultimately, the state decides the level of financial assurance required, and how that should be structured.

"What we look at there is we look at the credit worthiness of the underwriters, we look at making sure we have a diverse mix of underwriters," said Assistant DNR Commissioner Barb Naramore. "And the other piece that's critically important is this mix of cash, and letters of credit, and bonds, they need to be bankruptcy proof."

Naramore said it's critical that the state would have immediate access to enough money to begin any cleanup or water treatment that's needed.

PolyMet's new financial assurance plan provides about $200 million more than the initial estimate included in its first permit-to-mine application submitted about a year ago.

The company said the updated proposal is the result of numerous discussions with the state.

But it's still about $400 million less than what some environmental groups have called for.

Those groups said they needed more time to digest the 4,000-page document before offering substantive comments on PolyMet's updated plan.

Steve Morse, executive director of the Minnesota Environmental Partnership, said at quick glance it seems like a step in the right direction. But it's too early to say whether it does enough to mitigate the risks of this kind of mining in water-rich Minnesota.

He also expressed concern that PolyMet is only proposing to initially set aside $10 million in cash.

"Because on most of these types of projects, the companies go bankrupt and walk away," he said.

The next step is for the Minnesota DNR to release a draft permit to mine, along with any conditions it might impose on the company as part of that permit.

Assistant commissioner Naramore said that could happen as soon as early January. She stressed no final decision has been made. She said there are two key goals the agency is focusing on as it considers whether to approve PolyMet.

"That the environmental and public safety standards are met. And the taxpayers of Minnesota aren't on the hook for paying those expenses."

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
PolyMet offers state $544M if it couldn't pay for mine cleanup

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Updated: 6:41 p.m. | Posted: 3:34 p.m. PolyMet Mining has submitted an updated plan detailing how much money it plans to make available in the event it can't pay for the proposed mine's clean-up. The so-called "financial assurance" is a major step in the company's more than decade-long effort to build the state's first ever copper-nickel mine in northeastern Minnesota.

# data[].attributes.body
Polymet Mining is the one mine that is most likely to be opened, this is information on their website discussing the many reasons why the mine is a good thing. The one problem is that this will be very much biased towards opening the mine.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
PolyMet Mine in Northeastern Minnesota | PolyMet Mining

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
PolyMet Minings copper-nickel mine in northeastern Minnesota, will create jobs, tax revenues and crucial metals.

# data[].attributes.headline
'We are slowly being killed by this mine'.

# data[].attributes.subject
'We are slowly being killed by this mine'.

# data[].attributes.body
EBS0host
My purpose for saving this article is to show the potential negative impact of the PolyMet NorthMet Mine on both Human and Environmental health. It also discuses how the economic impact of a Copper-Nickel Mine in Colombia actually impacted the local economy - in a negative way.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Sign in with your credentials to access the EBSCOhost premium information resources provided by your subscribing institution.

# data[].attributes.body
This website is primarily against Copper-Nickel Mining and is dedicated toward explaining the reasons why it is bad. It is really good to have this so that I can get the full scope of both the risks and the prevention measures of what is happening.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Home > Sulfide Mining in Minnesota

Northern Minnesota's wild forests and pristine lakes are the focus for new mine proposals that could forever change the region. These new mines, much different than Minnesota's traditional iron mines, would extract copper, nickel and other metals from sulfide ore.

Two major mine projects in Minnesota are currently in the pipeline. With several companies conducting exploratory drilling across northern Minnesota, additional mine projects are likely to be proposed. The mining industry is heralding this as the beginning of a new sulfide mining district in the state which will exceed the iron ore industry in size.

PolyMet Mining Corp.

PolyMet Mining Corporation has proposed a sulfide mine called the "NorthMet Project" between Babbitt and Hoyt Lakes, Minnesota. The company proposes to develop an open-pit mine to extract copper, nickel and other metals. It would be located near the Embarrass and Partridge Rivers, which flow into the St. Louis River and then Lake Superior.

In 2010, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency called PolyMet's environmental review "inadequate and unacceptable." In 2014, the EPA said the second draft of their proposal contained "insufficient information" and noted 37 problems that needed to be fixed.

The potential mine site is on public land in the Superior National Forest on a location that has never been mined. PolyMet plans to transport the ore to a former taconite processing facility about eight miles west. Mine tailings are proposed to be disposed of in basins already in place from the former operation and which are adjacent to the processing buildings.

Over 58,000 public comments were submitted on the second draft of PolyMet's environmental review, the largest number of public comments on a DNR project in Minnesota history. A Mining Truth analysis of the comments found that 98% of them were opposed to the mine proposal.
More about PolyMet ...
Twin Metals LLC

A second sulfide mine has been proposed for northern Minnesota by Twin Metals Minnesota LLC. Twin Metals is owned by Antofagasta PLC, a Chilean-based mining company. This company is considering an underground mine located near Birch Lake, southeast of Ely, Minnesota. They are considering several ore deposits near Birch Lake, just a few miles from the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness.

Twin Metals spokespeople describe it as the largest underground mine in Minnesota's history and "like an underground city." A July 2014 pre-feasibility study found that an underground mine was marginally profitable. Upon acquiring 100% of the Twin Metals project in January 2015, Antofagasta announced that it would "optimize" the mine design and revisit the pre-feasibility study.
More about Twin Metals ...
Additional exploration

Mineral exploration by other companies is occurring throughout northeastern Minnesota. Prospecting is focused on areas on the southern edge of the Boundary Waters, and near the communities of Stony River Township and Isabella. This area is part of the "Duluth Complex," a mineral area of interest that stretches across the Arrowhead region.

Never before has this forest been the focus of so much mining activity. If mines are developed, this national forest will undergo a dramatic change in both how it appears and can be used by the public.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Sulfide Mining in Minnesota | Mining Truth

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Home > Sulfide Mining in Minnesota Northern Minnesota's wild forests and pristine lakes are the focus for new mine proposals that could forever change the region. These new mines, much different than Minnesota's traditional iron mines, would extract copper, nickel and other metals from sulfide ore.

# data[].attributes.body
This is the website for the city of Babbitt, MN. Babbitt is the nearest town of where the mine and processing sites are located. What is interesting is that on the city's webpage are the logos and links to three mining companies that have or are planing on having mines in that town. There must be a reason why these are there...

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
City of Babbitt Minnesota - The official website of the City of Babbitt Minnesota and the Babbitt area Economic Development.