Court suspends 2 key permits for planned PolyMet copper mine
2019-09-20 14:24:21 [Print]
The Minnesota Court of Appeals has put two key permits for the planned PolyMet copper-nickel mine on hold ahead of a hearing next month.
The appeals court stayed PolyMet's permit to mine and dam safety permit Wednesday, saying the Department of Natural Resources ("DNR") failed to adequately consider two important developments that happened after the agency issued the permits. One was the massive failure of a tailings basin dam at a mine in Brazil that had some similarities with the dam PolyMet plans to build. The other is the acquisition of a majority stake in PolyMet by Swiss commodities giant Glencore.
The court said that at the October 23 hearing, the DNR should be prepared to address whether it should conduct a full-scale review of the similarities between the dam in Brazil and PolyMet's planned Minnesota dam, and whether Glencore should be added to the permits.
The appeals court stayed PolyMet's permit to mine and dam safety permit Wednesday, saying the Department of Natural Resources ("DNR") failed to adequately consider two important developments that happened after the agency issued the permits. One was the massive failure of a tailings basin dam at a mine in Brazil that had some similarities with the dam PolyMet plans to build. The other is the acquisition of a majority stake in PolyMet by Swiss commodities giant Glencore.
The court said that at the October 23 hearing, the DNR should be prepared to address whether it should conduct a full-scale review of the similarities between the dam in Brazil and PolyMet's planned Minnesota dam, and whether Glencore should be added to the permits.
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