Environmental Stewardship
Producing essential metals and being a responsible steward of Minnesota’s water and air quality, lands and public health are our top priorities, and strict compliance with the conditions of all our permits dictate the minimum we do as an environmentally minded company.
Minimize Land Disturbance
Our impact to the land is minimized by operating our project in an existing mine district where we will utilize existing infrastructure including the tailings basin, rail lines, utilities, pipes and roads. This limits any new land disturbances and minimizes our overall impact.
Preserve Our Wetlands
The NorthMet Project is estimated to directly impact approximately 900 acres of wetlands, which we will mitigate or replace. Every acre of wetland disturbed by this project will be replaced with equal or more wetlands. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and Minnesota Department of Natural Resources have determined final mitigation requirements as part of their permitting process and we will meet or exceed those strict requirements.
Financially Assure Closure and Reclamation
We are committed to protecting Minnesotan taxpayers throughout this process and have provided the state financial assurance in the form of a cash trust, bonds and letters of credit. State law mandates that a company must provide financial assurance before starting any construction or mining activity. This ensures the state has the resources available to close and reclaim the site and provide long-term water treatment at any given time if the company is unable to do so.
Support Conservation Efforts
We are always looking for partners at the local, state and national level who share our values for environmental stewardship. For example, we partner with Ducks Unlimited (DU) in support of its Living Lakes Initiative, a program that restores the health and functionality of Minnesota’s degraded shallow lakes and wetlands. Our funding helps DU, a leading conservation group, enhance wild rice in more than 100 shallow lakes and wetlands in Minnesota each year.