With the Draft Environmental Impact Statement for PolyMet Mining’s NorthMet mine due this week, observers are preparing for an argumentative comment period over what could be Northeatern Minnesota’s first non-ferrous mining operation.
The Duluth News Tribune previewed what can be expected during the coming months in THIS story from Sunday’s paper.
Already, the federal Environmental Protection Agency has expressed concern over some aspects of the project and has asked that the comment period for the Draft EIS be extended to 120-days, rather than the 45-day period currently allowed by the state-governed process.
Reporter John Myers notes in the story that three Ojibwe bands — Fond du Lac, Grand Portage and Bois Forte — have spoken up against the project.
Industry representatives say that concerns about acid drainage from the proposed project, the major concern of environmental advocates, will be satisfied by the design of the project.