Citing “numerous serious flaws in the environmental review process and the project proposal,” the environmental advocacy group Friends of the Boundary Waters Wilderness called for no action to be taken to advance PolyMet Mining Company’s proposed copper, nickel, and precious metals mine near Babbitt, MN.
The organization took the stance in comments made to the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers as part of the comment period for the projects’ Draft Environmental Impact Statement, which closed on Wednesday
Among the flaws, Friends of the Boundary Waters Wilderness found in the DEIS were: inadequate financial assurance by the company in the event of future pollution problems with the mine, inadequate data collection procedures for the DEIS, concerns about long-term water quality impacts from waste rock and tailings basins, and the impact of sulfate release into ground and surface water causing mercury methylization.
The Friends’ media release regarding their comments is HERE.
The group’s 59-page comment on the DEIS is HERE.
A summary of the DEIS can be found HERE.