PolyMet mine site
Mike Possis, Wildthingphoto.com
PolyMet (NorthMet Mine)
PolyMet mine would be south of Babbitt and northeast of Hoyt Lakes in the Superior National Forest. This open pit mine would be located in the crook of the Partridge River and the 100 Mile Swamp. The mine would drain 1,200 acres of wetlands and move five billion tons of waste rock. Ore would be hauled by rail for processing with new equipment inside the old LTV taconite plant just north of Hoyt Lakes. This project is the furthest along of the sulfide mines. A draft scoping environmental analysis worksheet (the outline of the EIS) has been approved by the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources. Sierra Club members toured the mine and processing sites on July 16, 2005.
Learn more about sulfide mining and how you can help by watching this QuickTime video of a Club volunteer speaking at the Living Green Expo, February 4, 2006.
The Minnesota Center for Environmental Advocacy (MCEA) sent a strong letter to PolyMet and St. Louis County reminding them that the law requires them to wait (pdf, 133k) until the environmental impact statement is complete and found adequate before they start work on the project. Read the News Tribune article, "Wetland plans flood neighboring landowners with concern" about the company's jumping the gun. The proposed PolyMet mine would drain 1,200 acres of wetlands and state law requires this damage be mitigated with creations of new wetlands or restoration of previously drained wetlands.
PolyMet is seeking partners to help finance the mine and processing plant. The company says the mine would operate for just 20 years.
The processing plant may take ore from other mines in the area, according to the Minnesota Prospector, May 2004.