CBS 3 Duluth.com
HOYT LAKES, MN — After nearly 15 years and thousands of public comments PolyMet is making preparations to start construction on Minnesota’s first copper-nickel mine.
“During this upcoming construction season we’ll be in a position to be ready to begin the project,” said Jon Cherry, President and CEO of PolyMet. “2019 should be when we break ground and get going.”
Cherry has been at the forefront of this project for the last six and a half years and he said it hasn’t been without obstacles. “The challenge has been the length of time that it’s taken to get to this point.” PolyMet began the initial environmental review back in 2004.
“The rules the state of Minnesota has and the federal government has for mining are very high, they’re designed to protect the environment. So we wanted to make sure we took our time to design a plan and project that would meet or exceed those standards.”
As the first copper-nickle mine to receive all state permits, PolyMet is setting a precedent for what could be a new addition to Minnesota’s long history of mining.
For the rest of this article: https://cbs3duluth.com/iron-range/2019/01/29/eye-on-mining-exclusive-interview-with-polymet-ceo-and-president/