Minnesota 8th District Representative Chip Cravaack expects the revised Draft Environmental Impact Statement for the proposed PolyMet precious metal mine near Babbitt, MN to be released by October.
Minnesota Public Radio reports on Cravaack’s recent meeting with the state and federal agencies working on the document HERE.
Cravaack said the Draft EIS will be circulated internally in July, prior to its release to the public in October.
A second go at the environmental review 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.
Progress on the revised document was slowed last fall when the federal Environmental Protection Agency asked PolyMet for additional computer modeling to address water and air quality regulations.
The $600-million PolyMet project, if approved, is expected to create some 400 jobs during the 20-year life of the mine.