The Minnesota state government shutdown is delaying work on PolyMet Mining’s revised Draft Environmental Impact Statement which depends on the efforts of Department of Natural Resources and Pollution Control Agency officials.
Minnesota Public Radio reports on the story HERE.
Company officials are asking a Special Master to declare that state employees working on the review of its proposed copper-nickel mine near Babbitt should be allowed to continue to work on the project.
A second Draft EIS is 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.
Many Minnesota state government services stopped on July 1, after governor Mark Dayton and the state legislature failed to reach an agreement on a new two-year budget plan.