Mining hearings scheduled at State Capitol

The Minnesota Senate Environment and Natural Resources Committee has scheduled a series of three hearings next week regarding the PolyMet mine proposal, the past and future of sulfide mining exploration and regulation in the state, and a bill that would strengthen the state’s “damage deposit” laws.

The hearings will feature testimony from government agencies, mining industry proponents, scientists, citizen advocates, and experts in the field.

It is critically important that people who care about protecting our clean water from toxic pollution from proposed mines show up at the hearings to show support to the legislators who will make important decisions about the issue in the near future.

Details:

Monday, March 8

12:30 p.m. – Room 107, Minnesota State Capitol

• History of mining regulation and environmental review
• PolyMet presentation on NorthMet Project

6 p.m. – Room 15, Minnesota State Capitol

• PolyMet Draft EIS comments

Wednesday, March 10

6 p.m. – Room 107, Minnesota State Capitol

• Financial assurance (“damage deposit”) legislation

More details are coming soon, please sign up for our sulfide mining e-mail updates to receive an email later this week with additional information about attending these important hearings and being a visible, vocal supporter of Minnesota’s precious waters.

EPA criticizes PolyMet proposal

UPDATE 3/5/2010 – PolyMet has issued a statement that says the EPA’s criticism was based only on the proposed action in the Draft EIS, not the alternatives:

“The EPA’s rating of the draft EIS as unsatisfactory appears to have been based on the ‘proposed project’ without  consideration of alternatives or mitigations discussed in the document.”

This is false. In page two of the EPA’s letter, the agency states:

“This rating applies to the Proposed Action, the Mine Site Alternative and the Tailings Basin Alternative.”

In its comment letter to the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (the two lead government agencies on the environmental review), the EPA gave the DEIS the lowest rating possible.

In its comments, the EPA stated the all waste rock at the mine site would be acid generating, “and acidic water moving through the waste rock and tailings will mobilize metal and sulfates, leaching them into groundwater and surface water. The DEIS projects that water quality standards will be exceeded for sulfates and other contaminants…”

• Read the comments letter here for more details about the agencies concerns with the project.
• Minnesota Public Radio story about the criticisms.

Sigurd Olson Lecture Series: A Political History of Two Landscapes

The 2010 Sigurd Olson Lecture Series will feature long-time wilderness advocate and attorney Brian O’Neill discussing Yellowstone National Park and The Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness and the history and evolution of wilderness law.

The creation of Yellowstone as a park and the reservation from settlement of lands and water that now form the Boundary Waters began the American experiment in the preservation of wild places and wild animals. Both landscapes have been surrounded by controversy since their inception. Today Yellowstone and the BWCA face further challenges, some of which will alter their very natures. Many of these challenges will also affect generally the continued vitality of our national park and wilderness systems.

Brian O’Neill has been involved in the Boundary Waters and Yellowstone fights for more than 30 years. He has litigated over 50 cases on behalf of the environmental community ranging from the reintroduction of wolves into Yellowstone, to the constitutionality of the Boundary Waters Wilderness Act. He has handled cases dealing with wolves, bears, eagles, and fish. In 1994, Brian was the chief trial lawyer for fisherman and natives in the civil trial resulting from the Exxon Valdez disaster. He has argued in the U.S. Supreme Court.

Dates and locations:

University of Minnesota, St. Paul campus
203 Green Hall
Febuary 22 – 2:30p.m.

U of Minn. Law School
Walter Mondale Hall
Room 50
April 20 – 12:15 p.m.

Vermilion Community College Theater
Ely, MN
April 21 – 7 p.m.

2010 Annual Event – Saturday, March 20

You are cordially invited to the Friends of the Boundary Waters Wilderness 2010 Annual Event.

When:
Saturday, March 20, 2010
3–6 p.m.

Where:
The Metropolitan Ballroom & Clubroom
5418 Wayzata Boulevard
Golden Valley, MN 55416

Cost:
$35 per person or $105 for a table of 5 or $315 for a table of 10

Please R.S.V.P. by March 12, 2010 to 612-332-9630 or sacha@friends-bwca.org

Agenda
3:00 p.m.
Hors d’ourves

4:15 p.m.
State of the Wilderness Report:
Jim Sanders, Forest Supervisor, Superior National Forest

State of the Friends of the Boundary Waters Wilderness
Paul Danicic, Executive Director

5:00 p.m.
Annual Conservation Award winners presentation
Bob and Pat Tammen

5:15 p.m.
Keynote speaker, Doug Woods,
Author of Paddle Whispers and Old Turtle