This proposed mine has been in the news a lot lately. There seem to be conflicting reports of the distance from the mine site to the boundary of the BWCA. Has anyone followed this project and have knowledge of the project?
-
Happy National Telephone Day! 🔔☎️📱📶
Proposed Twin Metals Mine in MN near the BWCA
- Thread starter ppine
- Start date
Are there any Midwesterners on this page.?
Thanks to Tryin.
I have worked on reclaiming mine sites for 30 years.
This a world class ore deposit. Most of the proposed activity is underground. The POO emphasizes minimizing impacts.
It is groundwater contamination and possible surface water contamination that are the obvious potential environmental impacts.
The deranged drainages of northern MN created by continental glaciation, are a huge complex of interconnected lakes and surface streams.
It is obvious why so many people are concerned about acid mine drainage from sulfide extraction. Potential surface drainage into the BMCA and the associated groundwater gradients have the potential to impact the wilderness area.
We need to see the mitigation plan for hydrology in order to get an idea of the probability of contamination. This is a tough one to be objective about. I am just stating the obvious here, but plan to investigate the hydrology further.
I have worked on reclaiming mine sites for 30 years.
This a world class ore deposit. Most of the proposed activity is underground. The POO emphasizes minimizing impacts.
It is groundwater contamination and possible surface water contamination that are the obvious potential environmental impacts.
The deranged drainages of northern MN created by continental glaciation, are a huge complex of interconnected lakes and surface streams.
It is obvious why so many people are concerned about acid mine drainage from sulfide extraction. Potential surface drainage into the BMCA and the associated groundwater gradients have the potential to impact the wilderness area.
We need to see the mitigation plan for hydrology in order to get an idea of the probability of contamination. This is a tough one to be objective about. I am just stating the obvious here, but plan to investigate the hydrology further.
Last edited:
It's not worth taking the chance, on the mine not contaminating the BWCA.
There is No fix, if the BWCA is contaminated.
The BWCA is such a gem !
Giving a foreign country, the right to mine, smelt the ore, and sell it to China, is not in the interest of the USA.
Praying Minnesota will stop this insanity !
Jim
There is No fix, if the BWCA is contaminated.
The BWCA is such a gem !
Giving a foreign country, the right to mine, smelt the ore, and sell it to China, is not in the interest of the USA.
Praying Minnesota will stop this insanity !
Jim
related and of possible interest to many here. No affiliation just sharing this link
Minnesota Bound TV episode on the project
Minnesota Bound TV episode on the project
I mapped tailings from coal strip mines in Indiana, Kentucky. It’s not something you can fix afterwards. Not worth the risk, especially for foreign interests with a terrible record, for a resource that is readily obtained elsewhere.
I’ve seen the proposed site plan. 653 acres for 1.5 million tons of tailings, water on both sides of the site, shallow water table.
We are dealing with an open pit gold mine. Despite lip service to environmental guidelines, it is proving to be an ecological disaster for the immediate area. If you can protest the development, go for it. The disaster unfolding around us will not be fixed in my lifetime.
As far as proximity, I was on Gabbro some years ago and could clearly hear the test drilling. It was almost loud.
Thanks to all the contributors.
As a MN resident who has been to the BWCA over 200 times I'm torn. Mining if it can be done correctly does have a place but I would like to see it kept in the country. There are many hurdles to get past before any mining is done if ever, the Senate action did not directly open up mining. State DNR review and approval and lawsuits against the Senate action and local native tribes opposition (the BWCA and superior national forest fall within treaty rights) will probably delay any mining for years.
Chilean company with a majority owner who is friends with the Trump family. Profits to Chile. We do not have the smelter capacity in the US, so the metal goes to China. Minnesota gets some (dozens, maybe 100-200 at most) decent jobs for 15-20 years...no complaints about that part.
The giant copper mine (in Chile) I visited was impressive; was also obviously sending colorful acid water into/through the local town where the workers lived. Antofagasta (the parent company) has a less-than-poor track record with this type of mine.
Twin Metals is their subsidiary that would operate this mine. This is important because once they are done they can just close that down (ie, bankruptcy): This avoids having to monitor forever or worse - clean up / mitigate a breach in containment...if it costs too much, just walk away from Twin Metals, and Antofagasta's owners are off any and all hooks.
It will have to be monitored, but that will be on the taxpayer's dime after the mine is closed - as would any cleanup costs.
In a desert environment it's a different risk profile; here we have a precious natural resource: some of the cleanest fresh water on the planet. The 'downstream' aspect is a long one...these waters flow through the BWCA/Quetico, Rainy Lake, Lake of the Woods, Lake Winnipeg and on to Hudson Bay.
I'm not anti-mining; have a kid working for a mining company and we have miners in the family going back generations to the 1800's.
Not all mining technologies are created equal, not all locations are appropriate and the risk profiles vary - details matter.
Jobs = good. But: Wrong owner. Wrong structure. Wrong location and risk. If/when it goes sideways, it's effectively forever.
This type of mine has a perfect record of failure to protect. It always pollutes. We can only hope that arm twisting from on high won’t fast track the idiocy. Why is everyone so intent on making everywhere into Ohio?
That's what scares me, they're one of many corporations that set up subsidiaries, run them into the ground, then bankrupt them before any violations or claims can be processed. Oil exploration companies are notorious for this, especially in the Alberta oilfields, Two scams I know of are 1) lease the claim, equipment, and processing to the subsidiary at a high price + royalties to ensure they don't earn profit- even a slight rise in "costs" bankrupts and shuts down the subsidiary, Or 2) same as above BUT increase fees and claim the company is deficient in payments, Then pull out all assets of any value and cancel the claim lease, forcing them out of business, and still bankrupting them while defaulting on wages too.
I'm sure there are many other scams that leave all the environmental damage to be picked up by the taxpayer.
This is why the superfund exists. Make taxpayers clean up corporate messes (to the extent possible). Instead of a safety net to protect as it was intended, it’s become part of the business model for polluters. Now that the EPA can’t regulate or prosecute, we’re entering a new age of wildland retraction and degradation.
There are several mechanisms in place since around 1970 to protect the environment from mining activities. This includes mining activities and after the mines are closed. They put up bonds. There are reclamation plans in place. An operator is liable for impacts from their mining operations.
What is confusing is that before 1970, no such legislation existed. Nearly everyone is familiar with old mines that were pre-law that were disasters. We are still paying a price for acid mine drainage in coal mines, mercury contamination around old gold and silver mines, and uranium mines. Post law mines are different. They are regulated by state laws, a lead agency on public lands in this case I think the BLM. The EPA was formerly very active in monitoring and mitigating impacts from mining.
Under the current administration, the environmental review process gets short circuited. An Environmental Impact Statement, EIS, or Environmental Report ER is used to determine whether to go ahead with a project. I have not seen the original report for this project. I suspect that it was determined that this project definitely has the potential for significant environmental impact to the mine site and the proximal BWCA. That is why there was a moratorium in place under the Biden admin.
What is confusing is that before 1970, no such legislation existed. Nearly everyone is familiar with old mines that were pre-law that were disasters. We are still paying a price for acid mine drainage in coal mines, mercury contamination around old gold and silver mines, and uranium mines. Post law mines are different. They are regulated by state laws, a lead agency on public lands in this case I think the BLM. The EPA was formerly very active in monitoring and mitigating impacts from mining.
Under the current administration, the environmental review process gets short circuited. An Environmental Impact Statement, EIS, or Environmental Report ER is used to determine whether to go ahead with a project. I have not seen the original report for this project. I suspect that it was determined that this project definitely has the potential for significant environmental impact to the mine site and the proximal BWCA. That is why there was a moratorium in place under the Biden admin.
ppine,
The DoA economic analysis determined the project would hurt tourism by introducing traffic, noise and light pollution even before a large scale leak, then it could devastate the tourism economy. The scientific study was cancelled midstream by the first Trump administration, and no public input was allowed. Lawsuits delayed things until Biden took office and then he took the moratorium approach.
The DoA economic analysis determined the project would hurt tourism by introducing traffic, noise and light pollution even before a large scale leak, then it could devastate the tourism economy. The scientific study was cancelled midstream by the first Trump administration, and no public input was allowed. Lawsuits delayed things until Biden took office and then he took the moratorium approach.
Similar threads
