Posted on April 5, 2022
ST. PAUL, Minn. – The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, St. Paul District, will conduct a hybrid in-person and virtual public hearing for the PolyMet/NorthMet Mine project, May 3-5.
The public hearing is in response to an objection from Fond du Lac Band of Lake Superior Chippewa to the Corps of Engineers’ Section 404 Clean Water Act permit for PolyMet Mine project.
Days one and two of the public hearing will be conducted in-person with representatives of Fond du Lac Band, the United States Environmental Protection Agency, PolyMet Mining Corporation and the Corps of Engineers. The proceedings will be available for public viewing on the St Paul District YouTube channel as soon as possible at: https://www.youtube.com/user/usacemvppao. On day three, the Corps will provide an opportunity for the public to provide verbal comments via an audio teleconference line from 4 p.m. until 9 p.m. CST.
More information, including how to provide verbal comments, can be found in the public notice located here: https://www.mvp.usace.army.mil/Missions/Regulatory/Public-Notices/.
Written comments may also be submitted electronically to the following email by June 6:
USACE-PolyMet-401a2@usace.army.mil. The Corps will give all written and verbal comments the same consideration.
The Corps is conducting this public hearing in response to a determination from the Fond du Lac Band of Lake Superior Chippewa under Section 401(a)(2) of the Clean Water Act that regulated discharges into waters of the United States associated with the PolyMet/NorthMet Mine project will violate the water quality requirements within its reservation, which is located downstream of the project. The Band notified the Corps and the United States Environmental Protection Agency of its objection to the Corps’ issuance of a Section 404 Clean Water Act permit and requested a public hearing.
