Proposed Atikokan Gold Mine Advances
A proposed gold mining venture north of Atikokan, Ontario continues to define its mineral resource and prepare for environmental permitting in an effort to be in full production in late 2015.
mining
PolyMet Gets Loan, Buying Land
PolyMet Mining closed a $4-million loan from the Iron Range Resources and Rehabilitation Board and exercised its option to buy 5,375 acres of land it plans to swap with the U.S. Forest Service for its proposed mining operation.
State Mineral Lease Sales Postponed
A council of top Minnesota government officials has postponed the sale of 77 northeastern Minnesota mineral exploration leases on properties where the state holds the mineral rights but private individuals own the surface land.
PolyMet Mining in Need of Cash
PolyMet Mining, which hopes to establish an open pit copper-nickel mine near Babbitt, is running low on funds according to an independent audit of the firm.
Wild Rice Rally to Greet Governor
Environmental advocates will greet Minnesota governor Mark Dayton with a rally in support of wild rice protection when he visits northern Minnesota for the walleye fishing opening this weekend.
Open Houses Set for Prospecting Impact
The U.S. Forest Service will host three open houses next week for review and comment on its draft Environmental Impact Statement for mineral prospecting in the Superior National Forest.
Sulfates Standard Change Proposed in House
Legislation to markedly roll back the allowable amount of sulfate in wild rice waters in Minnesota is being proposed in the Minnesota House where proponents say current standards are too strict and not based on solid science.
Old Mine Drainage Worries Advocates
The drainage of pollutants from an abandoned mine near Ely coupled with the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency allegedly lax oversight of the situation has environmental advocates concerned about the state’s ability to oversee the large copper-nickel mines proposed for the area.
Congressman Pushing PolyMet Project
Newly-elected Minnesota 8th-District Congressman Chip Cravaack met recently with company officials, regulatory agencies, and elected officials in an attempt to expedite PolyMet Mining’s proposed copper-nickel mine near Babbitt.
Advocates Want PolyMet Partner Scrutinized
Environmental advocates want Minnesota regulators to consider the track record of one of PolyMet Mining’s financial backer when it considers permitting the company’s copper-nickel mine near Babbitt.
PolyMet Won’t Produce Copper Metal
PolyMet Mining’s plan to mine and mill copper, nickel, and precious metals near Babbitt won’t result in production of finished copper metal on-site, the company announced in a change of plans yesterday.
PolyMet Hires Former MPCA Commissioner
PolyMet Mining, the Canadian firm that hopes to build a $600-million copper-nickel mine near Babbitt, has hired former Minnesota Pollution Control Agency Commissioner Brad Moore as an Executive Vice President.
Broad Implications for PolyMet Loan Suit?
A lawsuit brought by a coalition of environmental groups questioning the legality of a Iron Range Resources loan to PolyMet Mining could have wide-ranging implications for projects supported by Minnesota state government money, some worry.
Environmentalists Sue Over PolyMet Loan
Five environmental groups are suing the State of Minnesota over a $4-million loan that Iron Range Resources approved for PolyMet Mining as part of its plan to mine copper, nickel, and precious metals near Babbitt.
Copper Mining Firms to Merge
Duluth Metals, Ltd. has agreed to buy Franconia Minerals Corp. in a merger of companies hoping to mine copper and nickel in Northeastern Minnesota.
Critics Concerned by Loan to PolyMet
Environmental advocates are concerned with a $4-million loan granted by the state of Minnesota’s Iron Range Resources board to PolyMet mining which hopes to open a controversial copper-nickel mine near Babbitt.
PolyMet Seeks $4-Million Loan from State
PolyMet Mining is asking for a $4-million loan from the State of Minnesota to help it buy land that it will swap with the U.S. Forest Service for land at its planned mining site near Babbitt.
Atikokan Looks Ahead to Gold Mine
Atikokan, the northern gateway community to Quetico Provincial Park, is considering what steps to take to become gold mining town. Osisko Mining expects to have a gold mine in the Atikokan area, perhaps by 2015.
Minnesota DNR Awarded Mercury Grant
The Minnesota Department of Natural Resources has been awarded a $1.6 million federal Environmental Protection Agency grant to study atmospheric mercury emissions from the state’s taconite processing plants.
Group Finds Mine Pollution near BWCAW
The advocacy group Friends of the Boundary Waters Wilderness claims that sulfide mine pollution is occurring at a 36-year-old mine site off of Spruce Road near the South Kawishiwi River just miles from the limits of the BWCAW.