Comment period opens for wetland permit for NewRange Copper-Nickel

BABBITT — The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers opened the public comment process for NewRange Copper-Nickel to revive the project previously known as PolyMet.

The NorthMet mine would extract copper, nickel, cobalt and platinum group metals from an open-pit mine 6 miles south of Babbitt.

NewRange submitted a permit application to conduct construction and earth-moving activities within federally regulated waters and wetlands. The Corps is the agency tasked with that regulation.

The company’s permit application states that more than 1,100 acres of wetlands would be impacted by the mine and its processing plant near Hoyt Lakes.

The proposed mine previously received this permit, but it was revoked after a court found it would violate water standards of the Fond du Lac Band of Lake Superior Chippewa. Other permits were also revoked at the state level.

This time around, NewRange is proposing new locations for managing tailings from the mine. It’s also made several design modifications.

Environmental advocates say these changes are an acknowledgment that PolyMet’s original proposal was flawed.

"PolyMet/NewRange is not making these changes out of the goodness of their heart, right?" said Joy Anderson, Minnesota Center for Environmental Advocacy legal director, in an interview in July. "They are making these because their previous plans were determined by Minnesota courts to be illegal."

NewRange stated the changes minimize land disturbance and reduce environmental risk from the naturally occurring sulfur produced during processing.

NewRange maintains that its original plans meet all permitting requirements, a sentiment echoed by industry group MiningMinnesota.

"NewRange's updated NorthMet design shows Minnesota's environmental review and permitting process working as intended — allowing science, engineering and public input to refine a project as new information emerges," said Executive Director Julie Lucas in an email statement from July.

The full permit application can be viewed at the Corps’ website. Written comments will be accepted until Sept. 12.

Comments should be submitted electronically via the Regulatory Request System. Comments may also be submitted by mail to the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, St. Paul District, Regulatory Division, Attn: NorthMet, 332 Minnesota Street, Suite E1500, St. Paul, MN 55101. Refer to file number 1999-05528-WMS in your comments.

The project is also under review by the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources after NewRange submitted its new project design in late July. The state agency is expected to decide within the month whether the project needs further environmental review.