Opposition to plans to mine copper, nickel, and precious metals in northeastern Minnesota took on an “Occupy Wall Street” tone when protesters demonstrated outside a Duluth Chamber of Commerce meeting yesterday.
The Duluth News Tribune has the story — with video — HERE.
Roughly 75 people carried signs, sang and beat drums, and at times heckled members of the Chamber as they arrived at a meeting at the Gitchi Gammi Club in Duluth. PolyMet Mining president Joe Scipioni was present to address the meeting.
According to the story, the demonstration was composed of members of Protect Our Manoomin, a Native American organization which opposes “mining legislation that endangers our manoomin [wild rice] and the ecosystem of northern Minnesota,” Duluth anti-mining activists, and a few members of the Occupy Duluth movement.
The demonstrators expressed concern about who would profit from the proposed PolyMet mine and the nature of jobs to be created by the project as well as the potential harm to the environment the mine could pose. The Minnesota Chamber of Commerce has sued to loosen Minnesota’s water quality standards that pertain to areas where wild rice grows.
PolyMet officials said they welcomed the protest, according to the story, saying demonstration was a legitimate way to voice opinions on the issue. The Duluth Chamber of Commerce said the meeting was the best attended “Let’s Do Lunch, Duluth” meeting in the seven year history of the program.
Environmental Review Delayed … In related news, PolyMet Mining officials told the Duluth News Tribune that the revised draft Environmental Impact Statement for its mining project near Babbitt, MN, would not be completed until the second quarter of 2012. The review was expected to be completed late this year.
Read the full Duluth News Tribune story HERE.
The delay likely sets back the potential issuance of operating permits for the project to 2013, rather than 2012, as previously anticipated. The environmental review is important not just to the progress of the PolyMet project, it is also expected to set standards for other copper, nickel, and precious metals mining projects in the region as well.
The revised draft Environmental Impact Statement was required after the initial document was criticized by the federal Environmental Protection Agency for not addressing the issue of funds to be set aside for future clean-up nor adequately addressing wetland and endangered species destruction and water quality concerns.