PolyMet Updates Status of Environmental Review
ST. PAUL, MINNESOTA--(Marketwire -02/01/12)- PolyMet Mining Corp. (TSX: POM.TO - News)(AMEX: PLM - News) ("PolyMet" or the "Company") today reported continued progress toward completion of the environmental review of its NorthMet project. PolyMet controls 100% of the development-stage NorthMet copper-nickel-precious metals ore-body and the nearby Erie Plant, located near Hoyt Lakes in the established mining district of the Mesabi Iron Range in northeastern Minnesota.
The Minnesota Department of Natural Resources ("DNR") and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers ("USACE") published a draft Environmental Impact Statement ("EIS") on the project in November 2009. Since then, several critical tasks have been completed, including:
-- Evaluation of all comments on the draft EIS, including extensive
comments by the US Environmental Protection Agency ("EPA")
-- Incorporation of the proposed land exchange with the US Forest Service
("USFS") into the project EIS process, with the USFS joining the DNR and
USACE as a Co-Lead Agency.
-- EPA participation in the review process as a Cooperating Agency
-- Changes to the project to reduce its impact on the environment and
enhance the economics
A supplemental draft EIS ("SDEIS") will describe in detail the project that PolyMet plans to build, analyze the environmental impacts, and demonstrate that the project complies with all current, relevant state and federal environmental standards.
"The agencies are guiding an extremely rigorous environmental review process, and we are committed to working with them to provide the hard data they need to make decisions both for the EIS and for subsequent permitting," said Brad Moore, PolyMet's Executive Vice President of Governmental and Environmental Affairs.
Mr. Moore continued, "We believe the level of detailed engineering being incorporated into the SDEIS will provide a clear and thorough analysis of the project and its potential impact on the environment, as well as supporting completion of project permitting."
EIS Status Update
ERM, the Lead Agencies' environmental consultant, has completed a significant amount of work on the SDEIS, which will comprise nine chapters. The first four chapters, comprising over 400 pages and including more than 100 figures, have been drafted and are being reviewed by the Lead Agencies.
Other important milestones already achieved include:
-- Approval of air emission estimates.
-- Approval of cumulative visibility, acid deposition, and fiber impact
evaluation reports.
-- Completion of geotechnical stability modeling with results now under
review.
-- Completion of direct wetland impact evaluation and wetland mitigation
plans, which are now under review.
-- Completion of hazardous materials assessment; threatened, endangered and
sensitive species analysis; assessments of wildlife and heritage
resources; and wetland/floodplain analysis reports for the lands
involved in the land exchange, which have been delivered to the USFS for
review.
-- Delivery by PolyMet of updated project documents including the detailed
project description, mine plan, reclamation and waste disposal plans,
and extensive data packages.
As SDEIS preparation moves into the final stages, the Lead Agencies have completed a detailed assessment of tasks outstanding and the timeline. The key task is completion of detailed environmental modeling, including quality assurance plans as well as generation, verification, review, and documentation of modeling data.
The Lead Agencies expect that all aspects of modeling will be completed in the spring of 2012, with the preliminary SDEIS available for review by the Cooperating Agencies during the summer, and public review and comment in the fall of 2012.
Frank Sims, Co-Chairman of the Board of PolyMet observed, "Completion of the environmental review is a complex process. While the timeline has been challenging, we are encouraged by the commitment of the Agencies to produce a strong EIS and have growing confidence about the path to completion." |
