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The U.S. Forest Service has found few significant environmental effects in its assessment of a mining company's plan to drill groundwater study wells near Ely. 


Twin Metals, a subsidiary of Chilean mining giant Antofagasta, is proposing to drill wells at 13 monitoring sites in the Superior National Forest near Birch Lake and the South Kawishiwi River, about 12 miles southeast of Ely. 

It's part of a broader study the company is conducting that includes 116 monitoring sites around where a potential mine would be located. Twin Metals has already drilled wells at some of those sites on state and private land. 


Twin Metals Vice President Bob McFarlin says the company is gathering lots of data to help eventually prepare an environmental impact statement for the mine proposal. 

"And the environmental assessment found overwhelmingly that the environmental impacts of this particular program would be negligible to none," McFarlin said.

There were comments from 101 people on the initial plan Twin Metals submitted to the Forest Service in 2013. Many were concerned about potential noise impacts from the drilling at nearby campgrounds and in the Boundary Waters. 


In response, the Forest Service is also considering an alternative to the company's proposal, one that would require Twin Metals to use sound-reduction technology at drill rigs, to meet a sound level threshold at the BWCAW, and to not drill during the busy summer tourist season. 


The public has until November 9 to comment on the 

. A final decision from the Superior National Forest isn't expected until next year. 


Twin Metals completed a technical report known as a 

 in late 2014, in which it laid out a potential mine near Ely that would operate for 30 years and employ about 850 people. The company is working on a "mine plan of operation" to present to state and federal regulators to kick off the environmental review process. McFarlin says he expects that to occur in mid-2018. 


The area where Twin Metals is exploring is known as the Duluth Complex, one of the richest untapped deposits of copper, nickel and precious metals in the world. Several mining companies are exploring the northeast Minnesota region. The Minnesota DNR is expected to release a final environmental impact statement on Polymet's proposed mine near Babbitt and Hoyt Lakes next month. 


The mineral deposits are located in unspoiled forest, lakes and rivers in northeast Minnesota, and environmental groups are concerned about the potential for severe water pollution that has plagued this kind of mining in other parts of North America. 


And if PolyMet, and then Twin Metals move forward, environmental groups are concerned about the establishment of a new mining district in the heart of a major recreation area, and just miles from the most popular wilderness area in the United States.


"I don't believe we should mine for copper and nickel in northeast Minnesota," said Elanne Palcich, head of the group Save our Sky Blue Waters. Our waters are so important, so valuable, it's been such an iconic part of the state, and we know that this kind of mining is going to be polluting."

Editor's note (Oct. 15, 2015): An earlier version of this story misidentified Twin Metals' business relationship with Antofagasta. 

Business and Economic News

Environmental News

Water

Dan Kraker

Author

The U.S. Forest Service has found few significant environmental effects in its assessment of Twin Metals' plan to drill groundwater wells near Ely.

Forest Service: Proposed groundwater study near BWCA poses few concerns

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