COLERAINE — The Minnesota Pollution Control Agency hosted a public meeting in Coleraine on Monday, Aug. 19, about a planned air permit for a nearby scram mining operation.
MagIron plans to restart Plant 4, located northwest of Coleraine and Bovey. The Gilbert-based company also plans to operate another scram mining site east of Coleraine, Prairie River Minerals Demonstration Plant, and Jessie Loadout, a rail facility southwest of the city.
The area hasn’t been mined since the 1980s, but scram mining, which the PCA doesn't consider mining, has been done more recently. Prairie River Minerals operated the demonstration plant from 2020-2021. Mag Mining LLC operated Plant 4 from 2014 to 2016.
MagIron CEO Larry Lehtinen was the CEO of Mag Mining’s parent company, Magnetation Inc.
At the meeting, the PCA covered the various dust control measures MagIron’s air permit would require. There are limits on how much wind-exposed area can be actively mined at once; water sprays must be used at various stages, including watering unpaved haul roads. A 15-mph speed limit is also part of the proposed permit, on both paved and unpaved roads.
The dust control plan also requires MagIron to keep daily records and notify the PCA if visible dust is leaving the property. Corrective actions would include additional dust control practices or stopping operations.
During the Q&A portion of the meeting, multiple citizens noted when Plant 4 was last operating, Coleraine had a serious dust problem.
“Fugitive dust in the city of Coleraine was terrible," said John Johnson, Coleraine resident and Itasca County Commissioner, who lives just downwind of Plant 4. "Still exists on some of the houses up there, I can show you today.”
The PCA explained to Johnson and others mindful of previous dust issues that Plant 4 was unpermitted most of the time it previously operated, partly because the agency had not determined how it would permit scram mining operations.
"So there wasn’t a dust control plan that the previous owners had to follow and had to comply with,” said Benjamin Wenkel, PCA air permit engineer. "And now there is. So there's an extra level of effort and controls that are enforceable in this permit now."
CEO Lehtinen jumped in later in the meeting to note that the plan is to mine less fine dust tailings and more of the larger jig rock, piles of which can be seen when driving throughout the Iron Range. Lehtinen said that is a "huge change."
But one attendee was unconvinced, shouting over Lehtinen that he didn't believe there would be much difference.
“You dusted the hell out of every town you’re in," the attendee said. "You dusted Keewatin, you dusted Taconite and now you dusted Coleraine. And nothing was ever done about it, and we’re eatin’ all that dust.”
In general, residents seemed skeptical of the control measures' effectiveness — or rather that they would be strictly adhered to — specifically expressing they were unconvinced that the speed limit would be followed.
One also asked if there were operation restrictions in cases of high wind. Wenkel said there were no specific limitations related to wind levels, and later explained that there were also no limits on operation hours, which is where air permits typically start.
Another PCA employee chimed in, saying that type of question makes for an excellent comment.
The public comment period for the air permit closes Sept. 11. The permit then moves into a 45-day Environmental Protection Agency review.
The PCA offers tips for effective commenting, recommending commenters offer specific criticism with details to support their points and provide contact information so the agency can respond to the comment. The agency also offers more resources from previous public comment effectiveness trainings.
Funding for this environmental story was provided by the Minnesota Environment and Natural Resources Trust Fund as recommended by the Legislative-Citizen Commission on Minnesota Resources (LCCMR).
