PolyMet just took another huge step toward changing the future of Northern Minnesota. After thorough scientific review, the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency (MPCA) issued PolyMet with water and air quality permits today and certified the company’s pending Section 404 Permit from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (Corps), a requirement of the Clean Water Act. […]
Change is in the air, Minnesota. Can you feel it? It’s more than just the inevitability of winter. With the DNR’s recent decision to grant PolyMet with a Permit to Mine and all subsequent DNR permits, we are one step closer to opening the state’s first copper-nickel mine. At Better In Our Back Yard, we […]
The U.S. Forest Service has lifted a ban on mineral exploration in the Superior National Forest, south of the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness (BWCAW). This is great news for the industries and communities of the Iron Range, but is this the beginning of the end of the beautiful, pristine (not to mention, federally protected) […]
As northern Minnesotans, we understand the value and impact that mining has on our region and the world. Natural resources fuel the lives and livelihoods of not only the people who retrieve them from the Earth, but also of those who use the finished products. While we recognize the importance of mining, some community members […]
Clean water is a shared value of all Minnesotans. Our 10,000 lakes are a reason many of us live here. They’re a point of pride, providing beauty and recreation as well as a key cultural resource for our Native American brothers and sisters. That’s why at first glance, news articles about eliminating a standard meant […]
When people think about “innovation,” they usually think of the tech companies on the West Coast with their apps and their gadgets. They don’t usually think about the mining companies. Instead, people often think that miners are out with pickaxes and shovels digging up ore and panning for gold – and frankly, shows like “Gold […]
Thousands of mining professionals and students from around the world will be convening in Minneapolis this week for the National Society for Mining, Metallurgy & Exploration (SME) Conference. The conference taking place from February 25 to 28, largely at the Minneapolis Convention Center, features an exhibit hall with more than 700 booths, more than 100 […]
On December 1, 2017, the EPA Administrator signed the final rule for Financial Responsibility Requirements under Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation and Liability Act (CERCLA) 108(B) for Classes of Facilities in the Hardrock Mining Industry. In effect, this final rule said that there was no need for financial assurance requirements to be placed on hard rock […]
Better In Our Back Yard released the following statement today in response to the DNR’s release of PolyMet’s draft Permit to Mine. The release of PolyMet’s draft Permit to Mine, along with the DNR’s draft decision to allow construction and operations, is promising news for the future of northeastern Minnesota’s people and economy. The PolyMet […]