“Send PolyMet to Summer School” – sign the petition

We are proud to announce a new petition campaign insisting that PolyMet Mining Corp. and the responsible government agencies do remedial work to address serious concerns raised by the Environmental Protection Agency in February. Sign the petition »

A Failing Grade

In February, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) declared that the PolyMet mine proposal presented unacceptable risks to the environment.

The EPA also said that the project should not proceed as proposed, but that the company and the responsible government agencies should do remedial work to bring it up to standards.

The “Send PolyMet to Summer School” petition simply calls for PolyMet and the agencies to do exactly what the EPA said they should. Rather than proceed to the usual next step in environmental review, they should do more work and give the public a chance to review it and offer feedback.

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What did the EPA say?

In its February 18, 2010 comments letter on the PolyMet draft Environmental Impact State (EIS), the EPA said:

“…Because of deficiencies in the Draft EIS, additional information, alternatives, and mitigation measures should be evaluated and made available for public comment in a revised or supplemental draft EIS.”

The EPA rated the PolyMet draft EIS as “Environmentally Unacceptable (EU) / Inadequate (3).” This is the most negative rating possible. According to the EPA, “Environmentally Unacceptable (EU)” is reserved for projects that have “adverse environmental impacts that are of sufficient magnitude that EPA believes the proposed action must not proceed as proposed.”

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Is this unusual?

Yes. The rating has only been given out to 41 of the 11,834 EISes the EPA has reviewed since 1987 (0.3 percent).

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Media coverage of EPA statement:

• EPA: Major problems with PolyMet EIS – Ely Timberjay
• EPA says PolyMet mine report is ‘inadequate’ – Minnesota Public Radio
• Nancy Schuldt and Paula Maccabee: PolyMet mine can’t proceed as proposed – Minneapolis Star Tribune
• Interview with EPA’s Ken Westlake – TheUptake.org

Participating Organizations

Lead: Friends of the Boundary Waters Wilderness

• Audubon Minnesota
• Boundary Waters Guide Service and Border Lakes Outfitting
• Crow River Trail Guards
• ElyMinnesota.com
• Friends of the Cloquet Valley State Forest
• Izaak Walton League of America-Midwest Office
• Kettle River Paddle Fest
• League of Women Voters – Minnesota
• Minnesota Canoe Association
• Northern Preservation and Restoration Society
• River Point Resort & Outfitting Co.
• Save Lake Superior Association
• Save Our Sky Blue Waters
• Sierra Club – North Star Chapter
• Wild River Audubon Society

Add your name to the list! Contact greg@friends-bwca.org if you want to be included as a participating organization.

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