CURRENT STATUS
PolyMet Mining is currently in the late stages of a comprehensive environmental review and permitting process . Working with state and federal agencies, we are demonstrating that the NorthMet project will meet Minnesota’s environmental standards, which are among the strictest in the country.
March 2004: Environmental Assessment Worksheet
PolyMet works with the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (state lead agency) and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (federal lead agency) to develop an Environmental Assessment Worksheet, a document designed to gather and disclose information about a proposed project, identify potential environmental effect and determine what issues and alternatives will be addressed in the Environmental Assessment Worksheet.
July 2005: Environmental Assessment Worksheet Public Comment Stage
During a 30-day period, public has the opportunity to review the Environmental Assessment Worksheet, ask questions, and identify any issues they feel have been overlooked.
October 2005: Final Scoping Decision
Taking public comments into consideration, the Minnesota DNR and USACE develop a Final Scoping Decision, which provides the blueprint for preparing the Environmental Impact Statement.
October 2009: Draft Environmental Impact Statement
The Minnesota DNR and USACE prepare a joint Draft Environmental Impact Statement that analyzed in great detail potential environmental and socioeconomic impacts of the proposed NorthMet project.
November 2009 – February 2010: Draft Environmental Impact Statement Public Comment Stage
Public has the opportunity to review the Draft Environmental Impact Statement, ask questions, and identify any significant issues they feel have been overlooked.
October 2010: US Forest Service Becomes Federal Co-Lead Agency
The US Forest Service – Superior National Forest joins the permitting process as the co-lead federal agency with USACE and as the decision maker on a proposed land exchange. Because the NorthMet project involves federally owned land, the USFS and PolyMet have proposed a land exchange that would unite surface ownership and mineral rights in the area to be mined by PolyMet. PolyMet would provide private exchange lands of high recreational and wetland value to the USFS to improve public access, reduce boundary lines, and promote consolidation of USFS lands.
Supplemental Draft Environmental Impact Statement
The Minnesota DNR, USACE and USFS serve as the co-lead agencies, and the Environmental Protection Agency and local tribal bands serve as cooperating agencies in preparing the Supplemental Draft Environmental Impact Statement. Expanding on the existing Draft Environmental Impact Statement, this document:
- Reflects comments received from the public and government agencies during the Draft Environmental Impact Statement comment stage.
- Integrates key project improvements, modifications, alternatives and mitigation measures to minimize environmental impacts.
- Incorporates the proposed land exchange between the USFS and PolyMet Mining.
Supplemental Draft Environmental Impact Statement Public Comment Stage
Public has the opportunity to review the Supplemental Draft Environmental Impact Statement, ask questions and identify any issues they feel have been overlooked.
Final Environmental Impact Statement
The Minnesota DNR, USACE, and USFS will review and respond to public comments on the Supplemental Draft Environmental Impact Statement. After making any appropriate changes, the federal and state regulatory agencies will release the Final Environmental Impact Statement for public comment.
Federal Record of Decision and State Adequacy Decision
Prior to the land exchange and issuing of permits to construct and operate, the Minnesota DNR will make an Adequacy Decision and the federal co-lead agencies will make a Record of Decision on the Final Environmental Impact Statement.
Permits and Land Exchange
The major permits that PolyMet will require to begin construction include a Permit to Mine, an integrated State Disposal System/National Pollution Discharge Elimination System Permit, an Air Emission Permit, and a Section 404 Permit for Wetland Impacts. PolyMet is proposing a land exchange with the US Forest Service. The exchange will consolidate the surface ownership and mineral rights to PolyMet, thereby removing all US Forest Service lands from the proposed project. In return the US Forest Service will receive in exchange suitable lands that fit into its overall forest management plan.
Operations Phase I
PolyMet will develop the mine, refurbish the plant, and build new flotation circuit to produce concentrates containing copper, nickel, cobalt and precious metals.
Operations Phase II
PolyMet will produce copper concentrate and process the nickel concentrate through a hydromet process that will produce value-added nickel-cobalt hydroxide and precious metals precipitate products.
