Bout copper-nickel mining

[Lee Borgersen]

  Duluth News Tribune

Let's have honest conversations about copper-nickel mining


Written By: DeanDeBeltz | Aug 16th 2019 - 8am.




 

  ....
As people gather for the Wild Waters Music Fest in Duluth’s BayfrontFestival Park today, there will be much conversation about what needs to bedone to protect the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness. As Twin MetalsMinnesota’s proposed mine plan moves through the regulatory process, those ofus who work in mining will be an important part of those conversations — notonly because we, too, care deeply about the Boundary Waters but because we arecommitted to the health of the communities of Northeastern Minnesota, whereour common future lives.


The Iron Range we know today was built on both mining and the wilderness.The forests of northern Minnesota have been home to mines and loggingoperations, outfitters and outdoor adventurers continuously for more than 130years. Those uses have coexisted, and, in fact, the people who worked themines have been among the most enthusiastic defenders of the wilderness wherethey live.

Twin Metals intends to build a mine that respects those values.

The Duluth Mineral Complex is one of the richest stores of copper, nickel,platinum-group metals, and cobalt in the United States. This is importantbecause everybody uses these metals, and, as climate change compels us to moveto low-carbon green technologies, the demand for these minerals continues toincrease.

Anybody who takes a selfie on their smartphone at the Wild Waters MusicFest or who drives there in a car is a user of copper, nickel, and a host ofother minerals that are in the Duluth Complex. Wind turbines, solar cells,batteries in electric vehicles, and catalytic converters all require theseminerals.

  ...
We need the kinds of minerals that are in the Duluth Complex. Theseminerals will be mined — either in a place like Minnesota that respects workerand environmental safety or in a place that does not. Those of us who usecopper, nickel, and the other metals should require the kind of oversight overtheir acquisition that our robust regulatory system and our culture demand.

Twin Metals is aware that we must operate in a way that protects ourwaters. Protection of our natural resources is why we will be proposing to usethe best-in-class environmentally friendly technologies to support ouroperation.

As an underground mine, our operation will occupy a small area on thesurface. We will be able to go thousands of feet below the surface andsurgically target ore containing the critical metals. Half of the unused rockfrom the mine will be backfilled with cement deep in the mine to minimizesurface disturbance.

In July, Twin Metals announced plans to store the remainder of the tailings — crushed rock which remains after the minerals are removed — in lined,dry-stack mounds on a site near the mine rather than conventional storage.This eliminates any risk of a dam failure, and extensive tests on our materialshow the tailings involved will be non-acid-generating.

As part of a 2018 online forum about copper-nickel mining run by thenonpartisan Citizens League, Kevin Lee, a staff attorney for the MinnesotaCenter for Environmental Advocacy, said, “I would go so far as to say that(dry stacking) would address the vast ajority of the concerns that we have forthese facilities.”'

Part of saving the Boundary Waters is ensuring an economic future for thepeople who live in the surrounding region. The main streets of Ely and Babbittshow that tourism alone cannot sustain a city. The jobs the Twin Metals minewill bring give Range towns the opportunity to thrive once again whilecontinuing to serve as a gateway to the wilderness treasure that is theBoundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness.

We are going to have public conversations over the next few years about thefuture of mining in Northeastern Minnesota. We hope these conversations focuson how we get what we need to sustain the green economy and to supportMinnesotans while protecting the home that we love.


Dean DeBeltz is director of operations and safety for Twin Metals Minnesota. He is based in Ely.



As people gather for the Wild Waters Music Fest in Duluth’s Bayfront Festival Park today, there will be much conversation about what needs to be done to protect the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness. As Twin Metals Minnesota’s proposed mine plan moves through the regulatory process, those of us who work in mining will be an important part of those conversations — not only because we, too, care deeply about the Boundary Waters but because we are committed to the health of the communities of Northeastern Minnesota, where our common future lives.

[Lee Borgersen]

  Counterpoint: Transparency, PolyMet foes demand. If only they'd noticed 14 years of it.


By Nancy McReidy (of Ely, Minn., is president of Conservationists with Common Sense.)
Nancy goes by da name of... "Bdub" here on MNO


Public feedback was sought as early as 2005. Guess it doesn't matter when the last word is always "no."

 

As I have stated many times before, I have followed PolyMet for Conservationists with Common Sense (CWCS) since 2004. I have attended community readiness meetings, open houses, presentations and hearings and have learned about PolyMet’s process, environmental safeguards and financial assurance, which would be updated annually.

In those early days, few if any activists opposed to copper/nickel mining attended the PolyMet meetings. Only in the last few years have they been speaking against the permitting process.

A public scoping meeting on PolyMet was held as early as June 29, 2005, in Hoyt Lakes. In 2010, hearings were held on Dec. 9 in Aurora and on Dec. 10 in Blaine. In 2014, hearings again were held in Aurora on Jan. 22, in Duluth on Jan. 16 and in St. Paul on Jan. 28. Most recently, hearings were held in Aurora in 2018 on Feb. 7 and in Duluth on Feb. 8. There may have been other PolyMet hearings I have missed.of Ely, Minn., is president of Conservationists with Common Sense.[/b]


Where were Tom Berkelman, Arne Carlson and Janet Entzel (“PolyMet proposal: Let the sunshine in,” Aug. 14)? Did they attend any of those public hearings? I know many of Minnesota’s other political leaders who signed the recent letter to Gov. Tim Walz supporting PolyMet attended and spoke at those hearings.

The main argument against copper/nickel mining is that it might, may or could pollute area lakes, rivers and streams.

Industrial agriculture is, in actual fact, the biggest polluter of Minnesota lakes, rivers and streams, but we don’t stop all farming. We realize food production is a necessity, just as mining our natural resources is. We regulate farming to make it better. That is what our state agencies have done with mining. PolyMet has passed all the permitting requirements set before it.

And just as robotics has taken over much of the ag/farming industry, maybe in the future robotics will be a big part of the mining industry in northeastern Minnesota as well. But there still are jobs in maintaining those robots. And those may be union jobs. It will be up to the workers to decide to unionize, not the company.


CWCS has asked the many anti-mining groups to coming to the table with PolyMet to assure they will mine safely. But, they rather sue and delay  the future of Minnesota’s next generation of mining, depriving people of good paying jobs that will help sustain our schools, hospitals and communities. They fail to realize that mining on School Trust Lands will generate revenue for all Minnesota schools. They ignore the closing of another store and another family moving out of town.

 

What was really sad was when, at a legislative meeting in Ely last year, newly elected Rep. Dave Lislegard, DFL-Aurora, asked, “If a company follows the process, meets or exceeds state and federal standards, would you support the project?”

Steve Piragis, a supporter of Northeastern Minnesotans for Wilderness and Save the Boundary Waters, answered, “No.”


Stop by and visit us at......
http://www.cwcs.org

Nancy McReady, 

[Lee Borgersen]

Federal judge hands Twin Metals major win in fight over mining near Boundary Waters

Copper-mining opponents assailed the decision as a......
 "slap in the face." 
By Jennifer Bjorhus Star Tribune MARCH 18, 2020 — 3:14PM

  ......
A federal judge in Washington, D.C., has dealt a significant blow to environmental groups fighting to protect the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness from copper-nickel mining in Minnesota.

  ....
U.S. District Judge Trevor McFadden ruled that the Trump administration acted within its authority when it reissued two mineral leases for the proposed Twin Metals copper-nickel mine in 2018.

The Obama administration had previously denied the company’s request to renew its two leases to mine on 5,000 acres of public land in Superior National Forest after the U.S. Forest Service concluded that copper mining so close to the Boundary Waters was too risky, and it could cause “serious and irreparable harm” to an “irreplaceable wilderness area.”

In his decision released Tuesday, McFadden, a Trump appointee, found that the U.S. Department of the Interior acted within its “inherent reconsideration authority,” and did nothing wrong in resurrecting the Twin Metals’ leases.

“Here, Interior timely corrected an error that would have deprived Twin Metals of its right to valuable leases,” McFadden wrote.

The decision is a key moment in the legal and political battle over opening up Minnesota to companies wanting to mine precious metals such as copper. This type of hard-rock mining poses far greater environmental risks than taconite or iron ore — particularly in the watery ecosystems in the state’s northeast — because of the sulfide and heavy metals that can leach out of the rock it must crush to get at the ore.

Drawing sides

Fierce Iron Range support: The project has passionate support in Iron Range communities seeking new year-round, high wage industrial jobs.

Activists continue fight: Environmental groups vow to appeal the case.

Majority polled oppose: A Star Tribune poll found 60% of Minnesotans oppose building new mines near the Boundary Waters.

For Twin Metals Minnesota, a subsidiary of Chilean copper mining giant Antofagasta, McFadden’s decision was a crucial step.

“This decision once again validates our position that these mineral leases that have been held by Twin Metals Minnesota and its predecessor companies for more than 50 years should have been renewed in 2016,” the company said in a statement. “This is encouraging news for the communities of northeast Minnesota who look forward to the hundreds of jobs and economic development our mine will bring to the region.”

The company plans to extract 20,000 tons of ore per day from the huge underground copper-nickel mine it wants to build just outside the Boundary Waters near Birch Lake. It submitted its official plan to state and federal regulators in December. The Twin Metals project is one of two fiercely debated copper-nickel mines proposed for northeast Minnesota.

The project has passionate support in Iron Range communities desperate for the type of year-round, high wage industrial jobs the mines would provide, even though a recent Star Tribune/MPR Minnesota Poll found that 60% of Minnesotans oppose building new mines near the Boundary Waters.

Environmental groups vowed to appeal.

“The plain, straightforward language of the leases makes it clear that Twin Metals is not entitled to an automatic renewal of the mineral leases,” said Chris Knopf, executive director of Friends of the Boundary Waters Wilderness. “The court is giving Twin Metals a forever lease. Based on the original contract, this is an overreach that defies common sense.”

Tom Landwehr, executive director of the Campaign to Save the Boundary Waters, also expressed dismay.

“Today is a slap in the face to science, the rule of law, the Boundary Waters Wilderness, and the American people,” Landwehr said in a statement. “This decision failed to recognize the clear, plain language of the leases and twisted itself into knots to justify the predetermined policy decision of the Trump Administration to sell out America’s most popular Wilderness.



The two advocacy groups were part of the coalition that sued the Department of the Interior after it reissued the Twin Metals leases. The coalition included nine Minnesota businesses such as Voyageur Outward Bound School and River Point Resort and Outfitting Co.


Aerial view looking over Birch Lake toward the site of the Twin Metals underground mine.

                               

[Jerkbiat]

Glad to see it. I can see this going all the way to the supreme Court.

[Steve-o]

Biden Administration Withdraws Leases for Controversial Mine Near Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness

On Wednesday the Biden Administration dealt a potentially fatal blow to a proposed mining project near the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness in northern Minnesota. The administration made a decision to withdraw two mineral leases that Twin Metals, a subsidiary of Chilean mining giant Antofagasta, needed to develop a massive underground copper-nickel mine.

[glenn57]

Biden Administration Withdraws Leases for Controversial Mine Near Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness

On Wednesday the Biden Administration dealt a potentially fatal blow to a proposed mining project near the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness in northern Minnesota. The administration made a decision to withdraw two mineral leases that Twin Metals, a subsidiary of Chilean mining giant Antofagasta, needed to develop a massive underground copper-nickel mine.

[Jerkbiat]

Yep, Freaking stupid. Push to go all electric vehicles. Then take away the ability to mine the rare earth metals needed to make them.   

[Dotch]

Hey Joe, ya moron!!!!!

[Jerkbiat]

Amen to that brother!!!!

[snow1]

Minning in northern minnesota has always been a hot topic,remember back in the 70's taconite minning on the north shore of lake superior? Polluted the lake with taconite tailings and drinking water along the shore from duluth to grand marias.

Drilling in ANWAR is another touchy subject these days.

[glenn57]

mining and oil drilling technology has come a long way since then snow!!!!!!! i do agree however things need to be set up right to protect the surrounding areas,.

the thing that drives me bat sheet crazy, like JB mentioned in his post is the fact that these people fighting it are probably the same people that use these metals the most in the contraptions...........they dont see the wind turbines being buried because they cant recycle them, they dont realize its impossible to make them plastic water bottles without crude oil.

hell, remember back when nuke plants where the most evil things on the planet  no place to store the spent fuel rods......now there pushing them!!!!!

[snow1]

mining and oil drilling technology has come a long way since then snow!!!!!!! i do agree however things need to be set up right to protect the surrounding areas,.

the thing that drives me bat sheet crazy, like JB mentioned in his post is the fact that these people fighting it are probably the same people that use these metals the most in the contraptions...........they dont see the wind turbines being buried because they cant recycle them, they dont realize its impossible to make them plastic water bottles without crude oil.

Agreed glenn,I was just pointing out what northern minnesota went through during our taconite times.

I witnessed first hand oil drilling near prudhoe bay Alaska,none of it good,from drilling waste to massive environment distruction mostly from pipeline ruptures,we left a major foot print when I was working on the slope,today the majority of oil comes from off shore rigs we don't hear about.So tapping ANWAR would be a massive mistake IMHO

hell, remember back when nuke plants where the most evil things on the planet  no place to store the spent fuel rods......now there pushing them!!!!!

[Dotch]

No doubt glenn, a whole lot of hypocrisy goin' on, not to mention just plain ignorance. This notion of changing everything over to electricity may happen someday but in the meantime we've got to get there first. That means transitioning. Not gonna be able to have your cake and eat it too regardless of the system.

Biden has turned out to be every bit the nightmare I figured he would be and he's just getting warmed up. Non-energy related, but an environmental concern just the same: We found out a few weeks ago that the EPA suddenly placed additional restrictions on one pre-mix combination of soybean herbicides (Enlist Duo) in certain areas of the state due to an as yet unnamed  "endangered species". Suspicions are it's a pollinator but they won't say. There is very little of this pre-mix combo available for use to begin with. The thing that's hilarious about it is you can mix the same combination of products (Enlist & glyphosate) yourself in the tank to apply in those same areas and it's perfectly OK!