Anne Williamson is vice president of environment and sustainability for Twin Metals Minnesota.
The June 10 editorial “Mining near BWCA is risky business” expressed concern about recent information released by Twin Metals Minnesota regarding the underground copper-nickel mining project in northeastern Minnesota that the company is designing.
Twin Metals recognizes environmental protection and conservation as a core value. It’s only natural. After all, we live here, grew up here and have family here. And that is why we are designing a project proposal that will meet all state and federal environmental laws and protective standards.
Twin Metals also agrees with the Star Tribune Editorial Board’s call for “agencies to conduct a rigorous, technology-driven and independent analysis” of the proposal.
The federal environmental-impact statement (EIS) process that has been in place since the passage of the National Environmental Policy Act in 1969 requires agencies to do exactly that.
A similar state program has been in use since the Minnesota Environmental Policy Act was passed in 1973. These processes rely on rigorous review of detailed project engineering plans and site-specific, empirical environmental data. These are processes citizens can trust.
When it comes to “rigorous, technology-driven and independent analysis” of plans, we in the industry wholeheartedly agree. Such processes are in place and can be trusted.
For the rest of this editorial: http://www.startribune.com/editorial-counterpoint-on-mining-let-s-follow-facts-and-the-law/485975402/