The sulfide-mining industry’s sights remain fixed on MN

By: JT Haines, MCEA Northeastern Minnesota Program Director, Duluth Office

As we look toward next year, we expect that mining conglomerates and the federal administration will intensify their efforts to push forward dangerous sulfide mine proposals in our state. 

Between taking steps to reverse the moratorium protecting the Boundary Waters from sulfide mining, placing PolyMet/NewRange’s proposed sulfide mine next to Lake Superior on a federal priority list, and supporting Talon Metals' continued push to try to open a sulfide mine near the Mississippi River, the federal administration appears intent on sourcing metals to fuel AI, no matter the cost to our environment or communities. The stakes for our state and three of the country’s most critical watersheds have, in many ways, never been higher. 

Because remember, this type of mining is so toxic that it's never been done anywhere without contaminating nearby water sources; and if there’s one thing Minnesotans agree on, it’s that we love our water.

We’ve been monitoring all three proposals and the signals coming from the White House. As some of you may recall, we anticipated big news from PolyMet/NewRange in September -- we were expecting PolyMet to announce changes to its proposal after a year of studying whether certain components of it (such as its tailings basin design) should be reconsidered. We asked you to get ready to stand with us once again in defense of our waters. 

Now, PolyMet is requesting yet another pause of the still ongoing contested case hearing in front of Minnesota’s Department of Natural Resources (DNR) -- this time indefinitely. In its filing on November 28, PolyMet told DNR and the parties that it would be “artificial” to impose a deadline at this point on its study of potential changes to its proposal. 

We will learn more about DNR's reaction to this request in January. For our part, we have expressed that we do not oppose the pause (yet another PolyMet delay) because we agree it doesn’t make sense for the parties to waste more time speculating about the company’s intentions.

At some point, though, enough is enough. The issues with PolyMet’s zombie proposal are too many to list; its proposal has fallen even further behind global standards, and the fundamental problem remains the same: operating the country’s most toxic industry next to our state’s greatest lake. We’re talking about potentially twenty years of mining for 500 years of pollution to a national treasure that is home to wildlife, draws millions of people to its shores annually, and provides safe drinking water for thousands. 

If PolyMet wants to change a plan that comes with that kind of risk, it should be forced to restart the process so that Minnesotans have a real chance to review it and weigh in. That’s what we will continue to assert to decision-makers at the DNR. In the meantime, every day that Lake Superior and the St. Louis River are safe from PolyMet/NewRange/Glencore is a good day. 

Soon our elected officials and state agencies will once again be pressed to decide what they’re willing to sacrifice for the industry’s pursuit of ever more metal and profit, and it will take all of us to remind them of our values. We at MCEA are in this for the long haul, whatever it takes. And we know that responding to the company’s ever-evolving claims takes significant time and energy from you as well. So for today, let us also say thank you. Thank you for continuing to pay attention to this and for remaining ready to stand with us in the face of this enormous threat. We will continue to share updates when we have them.