Permit to Mine
PolyMet's NorthMet Mining Project

On November 1, 2018, the DNR issued the permit to mine for the Poly Met Mining, Inc. (PolyMet) NorthMet mining project (see below for permit documents). The purpose of a permit to mine is to control the possible adverse environmental effects of mining by ensuring orderly construction and development of a mine, sound operational practices, and progressive reclamation of mined areas. This permit ensures that a mine is developed in a manner that facilitates future land uses. A permit to mine also includes provisions that govern wetland impacts and mitigation, and it is the key permit for setting financial assurance requirements for a mine.

The NorthMet permit to mine permit includes a comprehensive, PolyMet-funded financial assurance package designed to provide sufficient funds for the DNR to reclaim and close the mine and plant site in the event that PolyMet should fail to do so. The financial assurance package has been thoroughly vetted by independent financial experts and provides comprehensive protections for Minnesota.

Annual Report
April 1, 2019

Minnesota’s nonferrous mining rules call for the holder of a permit to mine to submit a report at the end of March each year. The annual report describes the mining and reclamation activities completed during the year prior to the report submittal, as well as activities planned for the upcoming year. In addition, the report includes a contingency reclamation plan and updated financial assurance estimates. DNR technical staff along with its consultants will review the annual report to ensure that the updated financial assurance and plans are in compliance with the conditions of the permit to mine and applicable state laws.

• Permit to Mine Annual Report 2018 (7 MB)
• Mining and Reclamation Plan (314 MB)
• 2019 NorthMet Financial Assurance Estimate Update (20 MB)

Permit to Mine and Wetland Replacement Plan Decisions
(PolyMet's Application and DNR's Special Conditions together are considered the Permit to Mine)
November 1, 2018

• Permit to Mine NorthMet Approval (5 MB)
• Permit to Mine Findings of Fact (2 MB)
• Wetland Replacement Plan Notice of Decision (10 MB)
• Wetland Replacement Plan Findings of Fact (1 MB)

PolyMet Ferrous Closure Permit Assignment

• Ferrous Closure Permit Assignment (1 MB)

Historic Permitting Information

DNR technical staff along with its consultants reviewed the application details to determine whether the project as proposed is designed to meet state standards, provides appropriate financial assurance, and incorporates the environmental protections outlined in the Environmental Impact Statement. Following review of PolyMet's permit to mine application, DNR prepared draft special conditions for the application. Following review of comments received during the public comment and objection period, the DNR developed final special conditions for the application. Together, the application and the special conditions are considered the permit to mine for the NorthMet project.

Contested Case Hearing Petitions March 7, 2018

The DNR received two petitions under Minnesota Statutes 93.483 requesting that the Commissioner hold a contested case hearing on the draft permit to mine for the proposed NorthMet mining project. One petition was received from WaterLegacy, and a joint petition was received from the Minnesota Center for Environmental Advocacy (MCEA), the Center for Biological Diversity (CBD), and the Friends of the Boundary Waters Wilderness (FBWW). Complete copies of the petitions and their attachments are posted below.

Prior to making permit decisions, the DNR concluded it would not order a pre-decisional contested case hearing(s) regarding the permits. Detailed explanation of the agency’s decision to deny the contested case requests is included in the DNR’s findings for its permit to mine decision.

The DNR fact sheet Formal Objections and Petitions for Contested Case Hearing describes the contested case petition process under Minnesota Statutes 93.483 subd.1-2.

WaterLegacy Petition (February 27, 2018)

• WaterLegacy Objections and Petition (37 MB)
• WaterLegacy Exhibits (1-39) (56 MB)
• WaterLegacy Exhibit 40
• WaterLegacy Exhibits (41-55) (17 MB)
• WaterLegacy Declarations

Joint MCEA-CBD-FBWW Petition (February 28, 2018)

• Joint Petition »
• Joint Petition Exhibits (1-13) (52 MB)
• Joint Petition Attachment - MCEA Dam-Safety Permit Comment Exhibits (1-32) (67 MB)

After careful consideration of the petitions, the DNR concluded it would not order a pre-decisional contested case hearing(s) regarding the permits. This decision was made prior to the decision on the permit to mine.

Draft Permit to Mine
(PolyMet's Application and DNR's Draft Special Conditions together are considered the Draft Permit to Mine)
January 5, 2018

To view PolyMet's Permit to Mine application, DNR's Draft Special Conditions, and Project Factsheets in PDF format please use the links below:

• Permit to Mine Application and Appendices 755 MB
  (12/13/2017)
• Appendix 16 provided separately - Final Environmental Impact Statement and Related Environmental Reports (1.3 GB)
  (12/13/2017)
• Appendix 18.1 Wetland Replacement Plan Attachment D-1 (1 MB)
  (01/05/2018)
• DNR's Draft Special Conditions (2 MB) 
  (01/05/2018)

To view the references for Appendix 18.1, Wetland Replacement Plan, use the link below:
Wetland Replacement Plan References » (1/9/2018)

To view PolyMet's Permit to Mine application and appendices separately use the link below:
View or download files separately » (12/13/2017)

Project Fact Sheets

• Fact Sheet - Project Overview (1 MB)
• Fact Sheet - Financial Assurance (1 MB)
• Fact Sheet - Reclamation (1 MB)
• Fact Sheet - Dam Safety (1 MB)
• Fact Sheet - Wetlands (1 MB)
• Fact Sheet - Water Appropriation (1 MB)
• Fact Sheet - Public Waters Work (1 MB)
• Fact Sheet - Effective Commenting (1 MB)
• Fact Sheet - Formal Objections and Petitions for Contested Case Hearing (1 MB)
  Updated on January 29, 2018

 

Reference Documents for Permit to Mine Application
December 13, 2017

• 1. The Minnesota Regional Copper-Nickel Study, 1979 (8 MB)
• 2. The Report on the Mining Simulation Project, 1990 (7 MB) 
• 3. Duluth Complex Rock Dissolution and Mitigation Techniques: A Summary of 35 Years of DNR Research, 2012 (1 MB)
• 4. NPDES/SDS Permit Application Volume I - Introduction, 2016
• 5. Water Appropriation Permit Applications - Individual Non-Irrigation. Prepared for Poly Met Mining, Inc. April 2017. (213 MB)
• 6. Minnesota Geological Survey. Quaternary Geology of the Mesabi Iron Range, Minnesota. Miscellaneous Map M-164 (9 MB)
• 7. Physiography and Surficial Geology of the Copper-Nickel Study Region, Northeastern Minnesota: U.S. Geological Survey Water-Resources Investigations Open-File Report, 1978 (1 MB)
• 8. Recommendations for NorthMet Open Pit Rock Slope Designs – NorthMet Mine Project, 2006 (1 MB)
• 9. Hydrogeology of Fractured Bedrock in the Vicinity of the NorthMet Project (v3). December 2014. (8 MB)
• 10. Monitoring Wells North of the Mine Site: Installation and Hydrogeologic Monitoring Plan - NorthMet Project. October 2016. (6 MB)
• 11. Minnesota Well Index (MWI)
• 12. Ecological Services – Species of Concern
• 13. Wetland Plants and Plant Communities of Minnesota and Wisconsin, 2015 (1 MB)
• 14. Soil Survey Geographic Database
• 15. Rare Species at PolyMet East, 2004 (3 MB)
• 16. Summaries of Sensitive Species Surveys conducted by MNRI and Additional Sensitive Species Locations from the MNDNR NHIS Database Technical Memorandum, 2011 (2 MB)
• 17. Botrychium (Moonwort) Rare Plant Surveys for Polymet Project, 2004 (12 MB)
• 18. Results of Sensitive Plant Species Surveys along Dunka Road and Pipeline Route, 2012 (1 MB)
• 19. Results of Autumn 2007 Field Surveys for Botrychium rugulosum at PolyMet Mine Site Technical Memorandum (1 MB)
• 20. Supplemental Site Specific Resource Information, 1999 (1 MB)
• 21. Memorandum of Agreement Regarding the NorthMet Mining Project, St. Louis County Minnesota. December 2016. (5 MB)
• 22. Minnesota Scientific & Natural Areas map. 2014. (10 MB)
• 23. Identification of Known Calcareous Fens, 2016 (1 MB)
• 24. St. Croix River, Minnesota, Wisconsin
• 25. Wild and Scenic Rivers
• 26. Takings Permit Application - NorthMet Project. October 2017. (2 MB)
• 27. Engineering classification of rock masses for the design of tunnel support, 1974 (1 MB)
• 28. NPDES/SDS Permit Application Volume V – Tailings Basin and Beneficiation Plant for Poly Met Mining, Inc., 2016
• 29. NPDES/SDS Permit Application Volume VI – Hydrometallurgical Residue Facility for Hydrometallurgical Plant for Poly Met Mining, Inc., 2016
• 30. Memo to Stuart Arkley, MDNR re: Overburden Geochemical Characterization Plan in Support of EIS - DRAFT NorthMet Project. February 22, 2008. (1 MB)
• 31. Memo to Stuart Arkley, MDNR re: Analysis of Samples from Overburden Drilling Program, NorthMet Project - DRAFT. March 18, 2008. (2 MB)
• 32. PolyMet Overburden Sampling Plan. Email to David Blaha, ERM, Stuart Arkley, DNR, Jennifer Engstrom, DNR. February 26, 2010. (1 MB)
• 33. PolyMet Unsaturated Overburden Sampling Analysis Plan. Email to David Blaha, ERM, Stuart Arkley, DNR, Jennifer Engstrom, DNR. March 3, 2010. (1 MB)
• 34. Memo to Stuart Arkley, MDNR re: Results of Analysis from Overburden Drilling Program - Update for March 2010 Test Pit Program, NorthMet Project - DRAFT. August 13, 2010. (1 MB)
• 35. Memo to Jennifer Engstrom, MDNR re: NorthMet Project Sample Selections for Humidity Cells. November 24, 2005. (1 MB)
• 36. Waste Rock and Lean Ore Geochemical Characterization Plan NorthMet Project, Minnesota. May 2006. (1 MB)
• 37. Memo to Jim Scott, PolyMet Mining re: Update on Kinetic Test Data, NorthMet Project - DRAFT. January 21, 2015. (1 MB)
• 38. RS53/RS42 Waste Rock Characteristics/Waste Water Quality Modeling - Waste Rock and Lean Ore - NorthMet Project. February 2007. (23 MB)
• 39. Memo to Jennifer Engstrom, MDNR re: NorthMet Project Tailings and Hydromet Residue Testwork - Update on Sample Selection from 24 Hour Testwork. January 6, 2006. (1 MB)
• 40. Flotation Tailings and Hydrometallurgical Residue Geochemical Characterization Plan NorthMet Project, Minnesota. May 2006. (1 MB)
• 41. RS54/RS46 Waste Water Modeling - Tailings - NorthMet Project - DRAFT. July 2007. (4 MB)
• 42. Appendix D - Delivery Package 1A-2: RS33A - Reactive Residues Progress Report, NorthMet Project, Minnesota. May 2006. (1 MB)
• 43. Hydrometallurgical Residue Characterization and Water Quality Model - NorthMet Project. RS33/RS65 - Draft-01. Prepared for PolyMet Mining Inc. February 2007. (2 MB)
• 44. Memo to Peter Hinck, Barr Engineering Co. re: Update on Tailings Humidity Cell Test Data, NorthMet Project - DRAFT. December 23, 2011. (2 MB)
• 45. NorthMet Project Geotechnical Data Package Vol 1 - Flotation Tailings Basin (v8). May 2017. (41 MB)
• 46. Estimating Bounds on Extreme Precipitation Events: A Brief Assessment. Washington, D.C. : National Academy Press, 1994. (1 MB)
• 47. NorthMet Project Geotechnical Data Package Vol 3 - Mine Site Stockpiles (v5). July 2016. (65 MB)
• 48. 2016/2017 Geotechnical Investigation Work Plan - NorthMet Project Geotechnical Investigations. June 2016. (2 MB)
• 49. NorthMet Project Geotechnical Data Package Vol 2 - Hydrometallurgical Residue Facility (v6). July 2016. (42 MB)
• 50. Geotechnical Aspects of Landfill Design and Construction. s.l. : Prentice Hall, Inc., 2002. (1 MB)
• 51. Recommended Pond Design Criteria, 2009 (2 MB)
• 52. Probable Maximum Precipitation Estimates, United States East of the l05th Meridian (Hydrometeorological Report No. 51). June 1978. (3 MB)
• 53. Application of Probable Maximum Precipitation Estimates - United States East of the 105th Meridian. August 1982. (7 MB)
• 54. NPDES/SDS Permit Application Volume II - Mine Site, 2016 (141 MB)
• 55. NPDES/SDS Permit Application Volume III - Waste Water Treatment Facility, Waste Water Treatment Plant, 2016
• 56. NPDES/SDS Permit Application Volume IV - Plant Site Sewage Treatment and Stormwater, 2016
• 57. NPDES/SDS Permit Application Volume VII - Transportation and Utility Corridors, 2016
• 58. Corps of Engineers Wetlands Delineation Manual, 1987 (1 MB)
• 59. Wetlands of the United States – Their Extent and Their Value to Waterfowl and Other Wildlife, 1971 (38 MB)
• 60. St. Paul District Policy for Wetland Compensatory Mitigation in Minnesota. January 2009. (6 MB)
• 61. Application of Federal Mitigation Rule and St. Paul District Policy Guidance on Compensatory Mitigation, 2013 (1 MB)
• 62. Ambient Air Boundary Control Plan - NorthMet Project. May 2017. (12 MB)
• 63. Special Purpose Monitoring Plan - NorthMet Mine Site (v7). August 2017. (5 MB)
• 64. Application for a Permit to Construct and Operate (Air Permit Application) - NorthMet Project. August 2016.
• 65. Engineered Wetlands Pilot Scale Testing WorkPlan - PolyMet Mining. October : s.n., 2016. (1 MB)
• 66. NorthMet Dam Safety Permit Application - Flotation Tailings Basin. April 2017. (203 MB)

Reference Documents for Wetland Replacement Plan
January 5, 2018

• 1. Minnesota Department of Natural Resources, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, U.S. Forest Service. NorthMet Mining Project and Land Exchange Supplemental Draft Environmental Impact Statement. November 2013.
• 2. Minnesota Department of Natural Resources, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and U.S. Forest Service. Final Environmental Impact Statement: NorthMet Mining Project and Land Exchange. November 2015.
• 3. U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Environmental Laboratory. Corps of Engineers Wetland Delineation Manual. Technical Report Y-87-1. U.S. Army Engineer Waterways Experiment Station, Vicksburg, MS. 1987. (2 MB)
• 4. U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. Interim Regional Supplement to the Corps of Engineers Wetlands Delineation Manual. ERDC/EL TR-09-19. Vicksburg, MS: U.S. Army Corps of Engineers: Engineer Research and Development Center, Wetlands Regulatory Assistance Program. 2009.Interim Regional Supplement to the Corps of Engineers Wetlands Delineation Manual. ERDC/EL TR-09-19. Vicksburg, MS: U.S. Army Corps of Engineers: Engineer Research and Development Center, Wetlands Regulatory Assistance Program. 2009. (8 MB)
• 5. U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. Regional Supplement to the Corps of Engineers Wetland Delineation Manual: Northcentral and Northeast Region (Version 2.0). [ed.] R.W. Lichvar, C.B. Noble, and J.F. Berkowitz Ed. J.S. Wakeley. Vicksburg, MS : U.S. Army Engineer Research and Development Center, 2011. ERDC/EL TR-12-1. (8 MB)
• 6. Eggers, S.D. and D.M. Reed. Wetland Plants and Plant Communities of Minnesota and Wisconsin: Second Edition. U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, St. Paul District. 1997. (4 MB)
• 7. Shaw, S.P. and C.G. Fredine. Wetlands of the United States - Their Extent and their Value to Waterfowl and Other Wildlife. Washington, D.C. : U.S. Department of the Interior, 1956. p. 67. Circular 39. (38 MB)
• 8. Cowardin, L.M., V. Carter, F.C. Golet, R.T. LaRoe. Classification of Wetlands and Deepwater Habitats of the United States. s.l. : U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, 1979. p. 103. FWS/OBS079/31. (1 MB)
• 9. Barr Engineering Co. RS14 - Wetland Delineation and Wetland Functional Assessment Report (Draft-02). [RS14 - Draft-02]. November 2006. (32 MB)
• 10. Barr Engineering Co. Supplemental Information to the Wetland Delineation Report EIS Report/Study RS-14. Addendum 01. September 2007. (9 MB)
• 11. Barr Engineering Co. Wetland Impacts, Tailings Basin Mitigation Alternative Memorandum. Submitted to USACE and MnDNR. [Memorandum to PolyMet]. Revised June 2, 2008. (4 MB)
• 12. Barr Engineering Co. TB-12 Pipeline Route Habitat/Wetland Analysis for Tailings Basin Alternative. [Memorandum to PolyMet]. July 8, 2009. (1 MB)
• 13. Barr Engineering Co. Helicopter Aerial Review of Mine Site Area and Tailings Basin Area. 2010. (3 MB)
• 14. Barr Engineering Co. NorthMet Project Baseline Wetland Type Evaluation. April 2011. (17 MB)
• 15. Barr Engineering Co. Lined Tailings Basin Alternative, EIS Data Request. Technical Memorandum from Gregg Williams at Barr Engineering Company PolyMet Project File, Project No.23/69-862-006-001. April 8, 2008. (18 MB)
• 16. Incorrect citation. No reference should be cited here.
• 17. Barr Engineering Co. Takings Permit Application - NorthMet Project. October 2017. (2 MB)
• 18. U.S. Army Corps of Engineers St. Paul District. St. Paul District Policy for Wetland Compensatory Mitigation in Minnesota. January 2009. (5 MB)
• 19. Barr Engineering Co. Permit to Mine Application. Prepared for Poly Met Mining, Inc. NorthMet Project. December 2017.
• 20. U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and Minnesota Department of Natural Resources. NorthMet Project Draft Environmental Impact Statement. 2009.
• 21. Poly Met Mining Inc. Revised Wetland Permit Application (v2). August 19, 2013. (189 MB)
• 22. Minnesota Department of Natural Resources. Record of Decision (ROD) In the Matter of the Final Environmental Impact Statement for the PolyMet Mining, Inc., NorthMet Mining Project and Land Exchange, St. Louis County, Minnesota, Pursuant to Minnesota Rules, Parts 4410.0200 to 4410.6500. March 3, 2016. (1 MB)
• 23. Labovitz School of Business and Economics. Employment, Economic and Social Impacts of PolyMet's NorthMet Project and other Industrial Projects of Minnesota's East Range Communities. 2006. (2 MB)
• 24. Bateman Engineering Pty Ltd. PolyMet Mining Corporation NorthMet Project Definitive Feasibility Study. September 2006. (1 MB)
• 25. Saran, Jennifer (PolyMet Mining). Email to Lisa Fay, Bill Johnson, and Irina Comardicea (DNR) re: project description items. October 20, 2014. (.zip, 2 MB)
• 26. Barr Engineering Co. NPDES/SDS Permit Application Volume V. Tailings Basin and Beneficiation Plant for Poly Met Mining, Inc. October 2017. (59 MB)
• 27. Poly Met Mining, Inc. NorthMet Project Geotechnical Data Package Vol 2 - Hydrometallurgical Residue Facility (v6). July 2016. (41 MB)
• 28. Poly Met Mining Inc. NorthMet Project Project Description (v9). March 2015. (22 MB)
• 29. Minnesota Department of Natural Resources; U.S. Army Corps of Engineers; U.S. Forest Service. NorthMet Project underground mining alternative assessment for the NorthMet Mining Project and land exchange Environmental Impact Statement. February 5, 2013. (3 MB)
• 30. Minnesota Department of Natural Resources. NorthMet Mine and Ore Processing Facilities Project Final Scoping Decision Document (SDD). October 25, 2005. (1 MB)
• 31. Minnesota Department of Natural Resources. Ecological Classification System. [Online] 2010. https://www.dnr.state.mn.us/ecs/index.html. (1 MB)
• 32. U.S. Department of Agriculture, Natural Resources Conservation Service. Unofficial conversion for USFS Landtype Phases to NRCS Series or Concepts. Duluth, Minnesota : s.n., Unpublished Report 2005. (1 MB)
• 33. U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. PolyMet NorthMet EIS, Wetland Resources IAP Final Summary Memo. July 2011. (1 MB)
• 34. U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, U.S. Department of Agriculture Forest Service. Biological Assessment for the Proposed NorthMet Project and Land Exchange. April 2015. (41 MB)
• 35. ENSR, International. Winter 2000 Wildlife Survey for the Proposed NorthMet Mine Site, St. Louis County, MN. 2004. (1 MB)
• 36. ENSR. NorthMet Mine Summer 2004 Wildlife Study. (27 MB)
• 37. Foth and Van Dyke. Supplemental Site Specific Resource Information. PolyMet Mining Corporation NorthMet 1999 Exploration Project. Report Prepared for PolyMet Mining. 1999. (1 MB)
• 38. Groh-Johnson, Cindy. Botrychium (Moonwort) Rare Plant Surveys for Polymet Project July 2004. 2004. (12 MB)
• 39. Pomroy, Deborah and Raymond Barnes. 2004 Rare Plant Survey at the PolyMet Mine Site Located in T59N R13W. 2004. (7 MB)
• 40. Walton, Gary. Data Summary: Rare Plant Survey. 2004. (3 MB)
• 41. Barr Engineering Co. Results of Autumn 2007 Field Surveys for Botrychium rugulosum in Proposed Land Exchange Parcels at PolyMet Mine Site. 2007. (4 MB)
• 42. Barr Engineering Co. Results of Sensitive Plant Species Surveys along Dunka Road and Pipeline Route. 2008. (1 MB)
• 43. Barr Engineering Co. Summaries of Sensitive Species Surveys Conducted by MNRI and Additional Sensitive Species Locations from the MNDNR NHIS Database. 2011. (2 MB)
• 44. Barr Engineering Co. Sensitive Plant Species Survey Report: PolyMet Plant Site. October 5, 2017. (7 MB)
• 45. U.S. Forest Service,Superior National Forest; U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. Memorandum of Agreement Regarding the NorthMet Mining Project, St. Louis County Minnesota. December 2016. (6 MB)
• 46. Minnesota Department of Natural Resources; Minnesota Board of Water & Soil Resources. Wetland Conservation Act Technical Guidance on Rare Natural Communities. February 28, 2017. (1 MB)
• 47. Minnesota Department of Natural Resources; Minnesota Board of Water & Soil Resources. Wetland Conservation Act Technical Guidance on Rare Natural Communities. November 7, 2017. (1 MB)
• 48. Minnesota Department of Natural Resources. Field Guide to the Native Plant Communities of Minnesota: The Laurentian Mixed Forest Province. s.l. : Ecological Land Classification Program, Minnesota County Biological Survey, and Natural Heritage and Nongame Research Program, St. Paul, MN, 2003. (13 MB)
• 49. Minnesota Department of Natural Resources. Laurentian Uplands Subsection. Minnesota Department of Natural Resources - Nature - Ecological Classification System - Laurentian Mixed Forest - North Superior Uplands. [Online] https://www.dnr.state.mn.us/ecs/212Le/index.html. (1 MB)
• 50. Minnesota Department of Natural Resources. Minnesota Biological Survey - Native Plant Communities. GIS shapefile. The DNR Data Deli. [Online] http://deli.dnr.state.mn.us/metadata.html?id=L250000040201. (1 MB)
• 51. Minnesota Geospatial Information Office. Minnesota Geospatial Commons. [Online] 2016. https://gisdata.mn.gov. (1 MB)
• 52. Emmons & Oliver Resources, Inc. Cumulative Effects Analysis on Wildlife Habitat and Travel Corridors in the Mesabi Iron Range and Arrowhead Regions of Minnesota. 2006. (10 MB)
• 53. Barr Engineering Co. Cumulative Effects Analysis of Wildlife Habitat and Threatened and endangered Wildlife Species: Keetac Expansion Project. 2009. (41 MB)
• 54. U.S. Army Corps of Engineers St. Paul District. Application of the Federal Mitigation Rule and St. Paul District Policy Guidance on Compensatory Mitigation, Compensation Ratios for Loss of Wetlands/Aquatic Resources. Draft Memorandum. May 29, 2013. (1 MB)
• 55. Barr Engineering Co. Wetland Hydrology Monitoring Report 2007-2009. March 2010. (15 MB)
• 56. Barr Engineering Co. Wetland Hydrology Study Report 2006 (RS44). [RS44 Draft-02]. November 20, 2006. (21 MB)
• 57. Barr Engineering Co. Preliminary Wetland Hydrology Study Report 2005 (RS44). 2006. (21 MB)
• 58. Barr Engineering Co. Wetland Hydrology Study Plan. June 24, 2005. (3 MB)
• 59. Barr Engineering Co. Addendum to Wetland Hydrology Monitoring Plan. May 13, 2008. (4 MB)
• 60. Barr Engineering Co. Addendum to Wetland Hydrology Study Plan. April : 12, 2010. (1 MB)
• 61. U. S. Army Corps of Engineers. Technical Standard for Water-Table Monitoring of Potential Wetland Sites. Wetland Regulatory Assistance Program. ERDC TN-WRAP-05-02. June 2005. (2 MB)
• 62. Barr Engineering Co. Potential Indirect Wetland Impact Vegetation Monitoring Plan Memorandum to Steve Eggers (USACE), Colleen Allen (MNDNR). Prepared for Poly Met Mining Inc. NorthMet Project. June 8, 2015. (2 MB)
• xx. Barr Engineering Co. Effect of Spring Mine Lake Restoration Project on Stream Augmentation for Unnamed (Mud Lake) Creek. November 7, 2016. (1 MB)
• xx. Barr Engineering Co. Wetland Hydrology Monitoring Report Summary 2005-2016 v1. February 2017. (90 MB)

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Permit Related Documents

State consultant financial assurance reports
Added on January 11, 2017

• Financial and Technical Metrics (1 MB)
• PolyMet Financial Capabilities (2 MB)
• Case Studies (1 MB)

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Initial Permit to Mine Application
November 3, 2016

To view PolyMet's initial Permit to Mine application in PDF format please use the links below:

• Cover Letter - Permit to Mine Application (1 MB)
• Permit to Mine Application (22 MB)
• Proposed Waste Water Treatment System (WWTS) Relocations (4 MB)
  Added on April 11, 2017

 

Appendix Documents for Initial Permit to Mine Application

• Appendix 1 - Regulatory Filings and Compliance Documents (3 MB)
• Appendix 2 - Mine Waste Characterization Documentation and Results (52 MB)
• Appendix 3 - Mine Site and Dunka Road Earthwork Permit Application Support Drawings (8 MB)
• Appendix 4 - Categories 1, 2/3, and 4 Stockpiles and Ore Surge Pile Design and Category 1 Stockpile Groundwater Containment System Permit Application Support Drawings (87 MB)
• Appendix 5 - Mine Site Stormwater Permit Application Support Drawings (19 MB)
• Appendix 6 - Flotation Tailings Basin and FTB Seepage Containment and Stream Augmentation Systems Permit Application Support Drawings (40 MB)
• Appendix 7 - Hydrometallurgical Residue Facility Permit Application Support Drawings (22 MB)
• Appendix 8 - Mechanical Infrastructure Permit Application Support Drawings (19 MB)
• Appendix 9 - Sewage Treatment System Permit Application Support Drawings (4 MB)
• Appendix 10 - Plant Site Stormwater Permit Application Support Drawings (9 MB)
• Appendix 11 - Mine Site: Management and Monitoring Plans Outlines (3 MB)
• Appendix 12 - Plant Site: Management and Monitoring Plans Outlines (3 MB)
• Appendix 13 - Annual Report (3 MB)
• Appendix 14 - Reclamation, Closure and Postclosure Plan (3 MB)
• Appendix 15 - Financial Assurance (168 MB)
  Updated on November 4, 2016: Added pages 1176-1179 in the PDF
  Updated again on March 28, 2017: Added pages 1157-1174 in the PDF
• Appendix 16 - Final Environmental Impact Statement and Related Environmental Reports (1.3 GB)
• Appendix 17 - Work Plans (6 MB)
• Appendix 18 - Wetland Related Reports (64 MB)<
  Updated on November 9, 2016: Added pages 4-8 in the PDF

 

Reference Documents for Initial Permit to Mine Application

• The Minnesota Regional Copper-Nickel Study, 1979 (8 MB)
• The Report on the Mining Simulation Project, 1990 (7 MB) 
• Duluth Complex Rock Dissolution and Mitigation Techniques: A Summary of 35 Years of DNR Research, 2012 (1 MB)
• Physiography and Surficial Geology of the Copper-Nickel Study Region, Northeastern Minnesota: U.S. Geological Survey Water-Resources Investigations Open-File Report, 1978 (1 MB)
• Recommendations for NorthMet Open Pit Rock Slope Designs – NorthMet Mine Project, 2006 (1 MB)
• Minnesota Well Index (MWI)
• Ecological Services – Species of Concern
• Wetland Plants and Plant Communities of Minnesota and Wisconsin, 2015 (1 MB)
• Soil Survey Geographic Database
• Rare Species at PolyMet East, 2004 (3 MB)
• Summaries of Sensitive Species Surveys conducted by MNRI and Additional Sensitive Species Locations from the MNDNR NHIS Database Technical Memorandum, 2011 (2 MB)
• Botrychium (Moonwort) Rare Plant Surveys for Polymet Project, 2004 (12 MB)
• Results of Sensitive Plant Species Surveys along Dunka Road and Pipeline Route, 2012 (1 MB)
• Results of Autumn 2007 Field Surveys for Botrychium rugulosum at PolyMet Mine Site Technical Memorandum (1 MB)
• Supplemental Site Specific Resource Information, 1999 (1 MB)
• Areas of Biodiversity Significance in Minnesota as Determined by the Minnesota Biological Survey (MBS), 2014 (3 MB)
• Identification of Known Calcareous Fens, 2016 (1 MB)
• St. Croix River, Minnesota, Wisconsin
• Wild and Scenic Rivers
• Final Designation of Protected Waters and Wetlands within St. Louis County, Minnesota, 1985 (1 MB)
• Protected Waters and Wetlands Map of St. Louis County, Minnesota, 1996 (1 MB)
• Engineering classification of rock masses for the design of tunnel support, 1974 (1 MB)
• NPDES/SDS Permit Application Volume V – Tailings Basin and Beneficiation Plant for Poly Met Mining, Inc., 2016
• NPDES/SDS Permit Application Volume VI – Hydrometallurgical Residue Facility for Hydrometallurgical Plant for Poly Met Mining, Inc., 2016
• Hydrometallurgical Residue Characterization and Water Quality Model – NorthMet Project, 2007 (2 MB)
• Recommended Pond Design Criteria, 2009 (2 MB)
• NPDES/SDS Permit Application Volume I - Introduction, 2016
• NPDES/SDS Permit Application Volume II - Mine Site, 2016 (145 MB)
• NPDES/SDS Permit Application Volume III - Waste Water Treatment Facility, Waste Water Treatment Plant, 2016
• NPDES/SDS Permit Application Volume IV - Plant Site Sewage Treatment and Stormwater, 2016
• NPDES/SDS Permit Application Volume VII - Transportation and Utility Corridors, 2016
• Corps of Engineers Wetlands Delineation Manual, 1987 (1 MB)
• Wetlands of the United States – Their Extent and Their Value to Waterfowl and Other Wildlife, 1971 (38 MB)
• Application of Federal Mitigation Rule and St. Paul District Policy Guidance on Compensatory Mitigation, 2013 (1 MB)
• Standardized Reclamation Cost Estimator, 2004 (1 MB)

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April 19th, 2016 Public Meeting

Informational page from past public meeting on April 19, 2016