PolyMet will only produce small quantities of ore while producing vast amounts of sulfide waste.
Written By:
Tony Maras, Duluth | 10:00 am, Feb. 5, 2021 ×
Construction on the Enbridge Line 3 pipeline recently began after Enbridge received approval from the Minnesota Public Utilities Commission. It is too late to stop Line 3, but there is still time to protect northern Minnesota from another threat: the PolyMet copper-nickel mine.
PolyMet will be an open-pit copper-nickel mine. This type of mine has never been operated without environmental contamination. PolyMet will only produce small quantities of ore while producing vast amounts of sulfide waste. This waste can react with water and produce toxic sulfuric acid, which would pose a serious threat to surrounding water sources, as the National Wildlife Federation and others have warned. Lake Superior, Duluth’s source of drinking water, is at direct risk of contamination from the mine.