NorthMet Mining Project Promises Jobs, Incites Criticism February 2016 PolyMet’s proposed copper mine, NorthMet, promises revitalization of the Iron Range’s cyclical mining industry, which has so far consisted mostly of iron ore mining. NorthMet would be the area’s first copper mine and could bring 960 job opportunities to the Hoyt Lake region. However, despite the promised economic boon, the project has received criticism from multiple sources concerned about the potential environmental impact of sulfide mining on the surrounding area, in particular the potential effects on the local watershed. If the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers gives approval PolyMet’s project will require the destruction of over 900 acres of wetland in exchange for creating new wetlands elsewhere. NorthMet costs will reach an estimated $850 million, funded from investors and creditors. These expenses include infrastructure, permits, and the costs associated with environmental protection systems like controlling groundwater flow from mining runoff pollutants. Glencore shares in PolyMet are expected to increase from 28.4 percent to 37.4 percent in exchange for the money Glencore has invested in the mining project. The project requires 23 permits before construction can begin and lawsuits are expected in counter to the issuance of the required permits. One opposing view argues the industries of tourism and sustainable agriculture are far more lucrative to the local economy than mining industry investments.
Other opposition comes from groups like Friend of the Boundary Waters and individuals like Paul Glaser, a University of Minnesota research professor, who believe the asserted environmental protection claims are inadequate or vastly overconfident in their assumptions of protection against contamination.