In a victory for PolyMet Mining Corp., the state Court of Appeals said Tuesday that a plan to open Minnesota’s first copper-nickel mine can move forward without a new environmental review.
The ruling resolves the first of several lawsuits filed by environmental groups since the state Department of Natural Resources (DNR) issued PolyMet a set of permits last year to construct the $1 billion mine near Hoyt Lakes.
With federal and state permits in hand, those lawsuits are the last major legal hurdle PolyMet needs to clear before it can begin work on what it calls its NorthMet mine.
“The court’s decision reaffirms the environmental review for NorthMet, which was the most comprehensive and lengthiest in the state’s history,” said Jon Cherry, PolyMet president and CEO.
The Minnesota Center for Environmental Advocacy (MCEA) and a handful of other environmental groups sued the DNR last spring, saying the permits it issued for the mine were based on a “bait-and-switch,” and that PolyMet planned to build a mine that was much larger than the one reviewed by state regulators.
For the rest of this article: http://www.startribune.com/polymet-mining-dnr-win-a-round-with-minnesota-appeals-court-ruling/510520782/