DNR stops work on Twin Metals environmental review
The Minnesota DNR has stopped work on an environmental review for Twin Metals' proposed mine.[WDIO-TV file]
Minnesota regulators have told Twin Metals, the company behind the stalled copper-nickel mine project near the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness, that they’re stopping work on the state’s environmental review.
The move comes after the Biden Administration canceled Twin Metals’ mineral leases in January. The Minnesota Department of Natural Resources says it will "redirect staff resources to other high priority projects."
The DNR has previously expressed concerns about the location for the large amount of semi-dry processing waste the company proposed stacking in an open-air mound above ground on the marshy site.
The $1.7 billion underground mine project was widely condemned by environmentalists for being too close to the Boundary Waters and was in the very early stages of permitting in Minnesota.