Congratulations are in order for PolyMet, as the Minnesota Court of Appeals ruled favorably on several key issues pertaining to the company’s water discharge permit. As expected, the court ruled the PCA’s decision to issue permits for the NorthMet project was made lawfully and followed procedure every step of the way. PolyMet’s permits demonstrate compliance with all federal, state and tribal water quality standards and should not be subjected to contested-case hearings. Project opponents have gone to great lengths to find procedural inconsistencies. MPCA  will have to conduct a functional-equivalence analysis to meet the new precedent set by the U.S. Supreme Court in the County of Maui v. Hawaii Wildlife Fund case.

We continue to place our trust in the process, and we echo PolyMet’s confidence in the science behind its plans for protecting the environment through responsible mining. Better In Our Back Yard supports responsible industrial development in Minnesota. The NorthMet project represents a positive step forward toward Minnesota’s sustainability goals. We can only transition to clean energy infrastructure if we can access the copper, nickel, cobalt and other metals found right here in our backyard.