ST. PAUL, Minn. – The Army Corps of Engineers has deferred to the new Biden Admnistration on whether to allow PolyMet Mining to proceed with iplans for for a huge copper operation on the Iron Range. In effect, the Army Corps’ already-issued permits for dredging 900 acres of wetland are stayed. The Environmental Protectiom Agency had asked the Corps to back off. The agency wants to review whether downstream eater quality could be affected. One issue is mercury poisoning of fish on downstream tribal land. Under the evironment-friendly Biden Administration, the EPA is re-examing mine-friendly Trump policies. Colonel Karl Jansen, commander of the Army Corps’ St. Paul District, pointed out that the stay is interim. “Depending on the outcome of the EPA’s review, the Corps will make a decision to either reinstate, modify or revoke the permit, Jansen said.
Chippewa legal case
A review of possible wetlands damage is a victory for the Fond du Lac Band of Lake Superior Chippewa. The tribe has opposed the PolyMet mine on several grounds, including now the 1965 U.S. Clean Water Act. The Chippewa contend that wetlands are important ro the quality of the Partridge and Embarrass rivers, which lead to the St. Louis River and tribal fishing and hunting lands. Paula Maccabee, an attorney with the environmental group WaterLegacy, said the Chippewas have broken new ground. “This is the first time that any downstream tribe has attempted to exercise their rights under the Clean Water Act to object to a federal permit,” she said.