Polymet Mining Corp (PLM)

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Link to the latest permitting news...

http://polymet.mn.gov/news.html


POLYMET PERMITTING PROCESS INITIATED

St. Paul, Minn., March 17, 2016 – PolyMet Mining Corp. TSX: POM; NYSE MKT: PLM today reported that the first step in the formal state permitting process has started with notice by the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources that it will hold a Preapplication Public Informational Meeting regarding the process for the NorthMet Project permit to mine.

Date: Tuesday April 19, 2016

Time: 6:00 to 8:30 p.m.
Formal Presentation at 6:30
Open House throughout the meeting

Location: Mesabi East High School (http://www.mesabieast.k12.mn.us/)
601 North 1st St. West, Aurora, MN 55705

“This public meeting initiates the formal state permitting process, building on the foundation of the state’s Record of Decision that was issued two weeks ago, which affirmed the Final Environmental Impact Statement,” observed Jon Cherry, president and CEO. “The recently completed environmental review process demonstrated that the project as designed meets federal and state human health and environmental regulatory standards. The permit applications will provide additional engineering details for the design, construction and operation of the project. When permits are issued by the State, they will include various financial assurance, operating, monitoring, reclamation and reporting requirements to ensure compliance with applicable environmental laws.”

The public meeting will include a formal presentation from the DNR that will provide an overview of the NorthMet Project and the permit to mine process. A brief summary of other state permits, such as tailings dam safety, water quality, air quality and wetlands will also be provided. State agency staff and PolyMet will be available in an open house format during the evening to answer questions about the permitting process and project respectively.

Minnesota regulations lay out the permitting process, starting with 30-day notice of the Preapplication Meeting to be held near the project location, followed by formal submission of permit applications and a review by the state that the applications are complete. Following the Meeting and after consultation with the DNR and the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency, PolyMet will begin to submit the various state permit applications that will be required to construct and operate the project.


Preparation of Records of Decision on the US Forest Service Land Exchange and the US Army Corps of Engineers’ 404 Wetland Permit is proceeding according to those respective agencies’ regulations.

Background
The NorthMet EIS is the most thorough environmental review conducted in the state of Minnesota. The EIS was written by the DNR, the U.S. Army Corps. of Engineers and the U.S. Forest Service as Co-lead Agencies and, since 2011, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency as federal Cooperating Agency. In addition to the state’s Record of Decision, the EPA stated that the final EIS addresses all of its prior concerns and any remaining questions should properly be addressed in permitting.

PolyMet has spent more than $60 million providing engineering and legal input to the environmental review process. In addition, the state spent approximately $32 million independently assessing the environmental impacts, including approximately $22 million paid to the independent EIS Contractor to assess engineering solutions designed to ensure that NorthMet meets regulatory standards and to write the EIS. State staff logged approximately 90,000 hours – an average of 4.5 people working full time for a decade. Under established state procedures, PolyMet has reimbursed the state for all of these costs.

“The environmental review process followed established procedures resulting in the state’s affirmative Record of Decision,” Cherry stated. “It is important that all participants respect and honor this process. PolyMet is committed to building Minnesota’s first copper-nickel mine and understands the very important responsibility of doing so in a way that is protective of the things that matter most to the community where we will have the privilege operating.”


http://ih.advfn.com/p.php?pid=nmona&article=70807524&symbol=PLM




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