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The US Army Corps of Engineers said on Tuesday it has revoked a major federal permit for the NewRange Copper Nickel mine in Minnesota, saying the permit did not meet water quality standards set by a sovereign tribe downstream.
Army Corps said it had revoked the Clean Water Act permit, which it had previously suspended, “because the permit does not guarantee compliance with the Fond du Lac Band of Lake Superior Chippewa’s water quality requirements.”
The Corps initially granted the permit in 2019, saying the project complied with all applicable federal laws and regulations, but suspended the permit in 2021 at the EPA’s request in response to a court ruling in order to study impacts downstream on both the Band Reservation and the Wisconsin waters of the St. Louis River. .
PolyMet mining (New York Stock Exchange: PLM), which owns a 50% stake in the NorthMet venture with Teck Resources (New York Stock Exchange: TECK) holding onto the other half, she said she was reviewing the decision and weighing her options.
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