US Army Corps revokes permit for Minnesota mine, cites threat to downstream tribe’s water standards

By STEVE KARNOWSKI
Associated Press

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers has revoked a crucial federal permit for the proposed NewRange Copper Nickel mine in northeastern Minnesota, saying the permit did not comply with the water quality standards set by a sovereign downstream tribe. The Corps said Tuesday that it revoked the Clean Water Act permit, which it had previously suspended, because of concerns raised by the Fond du Lac Band of Lake Superior Chippewa. The tribe’s reservation, on the St. Louis River, is downstream from the mine. The project had been popularly known as PolyMet until PolyMet Mining and Teck Resources finalized a joint venture February.