The agency had already said they would look at whether its 1993 rules would protect the BWCAW. 7:53 pm, May 12, 2021 ×
Canoeists paddle a quiet stretch of the Kawishiwi River near Ely on a day trip in the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness. (2002 file / News Tribune)
Minnesota regulators will review the state rules for copper-nickel mining within the same watershed as the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness after a judge on Wednesday upheld an agreement allowing for the review and dismissed a challenge by Twin Metals, which is proposing such a mine in that watershed.
Judge Laura Nelson in State District Court in St. Paul remanded the issues to the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources so it could institute appropriate administrative proceedings to consider and make findings and issue an order regarding the alleged inadequacy and that Twin Metals motion to dismiss fails.
For Immediate Release, May 10, 2021
Contact:
Jeremy Drucker, Northeastern Minnesotans for Wilderness, (612) 670-9650, jeremy@savetheboundarywaters.org
Jen Parravani, The Wilderness Society, (202) 601-1931, jparravani@tws.org
Agreement Reached on Mining Exploration Permits Near Boundary Waters Wilderness in Minnesota
DULUTH,
Minn. Conservation groups and the U.S. Bureau of Land Management reached an agreement today that requires the agency to revisit its decision to renew 13 prospecting permits. The permits could have allowed Antofagasta’s Twin Metals Minnesota to significantly expand its proposed sulfide-ore copper mine at the edge of the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness in northeastern Minnesota.
The groups filed suit in 2020 to challenge the four-year extension of the prospecting permits. To settle the lawsuit, the BLM has agreed to provide for public comment, conduct an analysis under the National Environmental Policy Act, consult with the
Opponents of copper-nickel mining say the bill won t go anywhere in Congress. 6:53 pm, Apr. 15, 2021 ×
U.S. Rep. Pete Stauber, R-Hermantown, speaks at the University of Wisconsin-Superior’s Lake Superior Research Institute in September. (2020 file / News Tribune)
Rep. Pete Stauber, R-Hermantown, introduced a bill that would speed up the federal permitting process for mining projects on federal land.
The bill would require permitting to finish within two and a half years, prevent duplication of work by federal agencies if it s already done by a state agency and set performance standards and other timelines to track permitting agencies
In a news release Thursday, Stauber said it targets the most burdensome regulations that have delayed good mining projects for years. Two pro-mining organizations National Mining Association and Mining Minnesota expressed their support in the release.
Opponents of copper-nickel mining say the bill won t go anywhere in Congress. 2:56 pm, Apr. 16, 2021 ×
U.S. Rep. Pete Stauber, R-Hermantown, speaks at the University of Wisconsin-Superior’s Lake Superior Research Institute in September. (Jed Carlson / 2020 file / News Tribune)
DULUTH U.S. Rep. Pete Stauber introduced a bill that would speed up the federal permitting process for mining projects on federal land.
The bill would require permitting to finish within two and a half years, prevent duplication of work by federal agencies if it s already done by a state agency and set performance standards and other timelines to track permitting agencies.
U S federal judge pauses lawsuit to allow review of Boundary Waters area mining leases – Fort Frances Times fftimes.com - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from fftimes.com Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.