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  • 'we have more fun' FishingMN Creators
Posted

Public Comment Period Open Through March 6, DNR to hold 2 Public Meetings in February

The Minnesota Department of Natural Resources has opened a public comment and objection period on a draft permit to mine for the proposed Poly Met Mining, Inc. (PolyMet) NorthMet mining project. Following review of PolyMet’s permit to mine application, the DNR has prepared draft special conditions for the NorthMet project. Together, the application and the draft special conditions are considered the draft permit to mine. The draft permit to mine and several related fact sheets are posted on the DNR’s permit to mine webpage for the NorthMet project: www.dnr.state.mn.us/polymet/permitting/ptm.html

Submitting Public Comments and Objections

The DNR will now accept comments and written objections on the draft permit to mine through Tuesday, March 6, 2018.  Written comments and objections may be submitted via the state’s portal for the project: polymet.mn.gov/.

Or by U.S. Mail to:

MN Department of Natural Resources

Division of Lands and Minerals

500 Lafayette Road N, Box 45

St. Paul, MN 55155-4045

Objection Process

Minnesota Rules allow qualifying individuals or entities to submit formal written objections to a draft permit to mine. An individual or entity submitting a written objection must meet specific criteria and include all information outlined in Minnesota Rules 6132.4000 subp. 2. See DNR Formal Objections and Petitions for Contested Case Hearing fact sheet for more detail on the objection process. This fact sheet also describes the contested case petition process under Minnesota Statutes 93.483 subd.1-2.  Both the objection and petition processes are distinct from the general public’s ability to submit any and all comments concerning the draft permit.

Comments, written objections, and petitions will all be fully considered by the DNR prior to making a final decision.  They will become part of the official record and as such, may be made available for public examination.

Public Meetings

As part of the draft permit to mine comment and objection process, the DNR will hold two public meetings jointly with the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency. The MPCA will be making its draft air quality permit, draft water quality permit, and draft 401 certification available for public review and comment in advance of these public meetings.

Public meetings will be held on:

  1. Wednesday, Feb. 7, 2018
    Mesabi East (Aurora-Hoyt) High School
    601 N 1st St W, Aurora, MN 55705
    4:00-9:00 p.m.  Open house
    6:00-9:00 p.m.  Public comment forum
  2. Thursday,  Feb. 8, 2018
    DECC – Duluth Entertainment Convention Center
    350 Harbor Drive, Duluth, MN 55802
    1:00-9:00 p.m.  Open house
    6:00-9:00 p.m.  Public comment forum

Comments and written objections on the NorthMet draft permit to mine will be accepted at these meetings. Stenographers will be available to record oral comments offered individually and during the public comment forum. In addition, comment boxes will be available for submitting written comments and objections at the meetings and staff from both the DNR and MPCA will be available to answer questions during each open house.

In case of a weather-related cancellation, the following alternative meeting dates have been established:  1) Wednesday, Feb. 21, 2018, Mesabi East (Aurora-Hoyt) High School – Aurora as a substitute for the scheduled Feb. 7 meeting; 2) Thursday, Feb. 22, 2018, DECC – Duluth as a substitute for the scheduled February 8 meeting. The DNR will notify the public of any cancellations or time or venue changes via GovDelivery message, press release and/or social media.

Proposed NorthMet Project

The proposed NorthMet Project, located near the cities of Hoyt Lakes and Babbitt in northeastern Minnesota, would create an open pit copper, nickel, cobalt and precious metals mine with stockpile areas; refurbish a portion of the former LTV Steel Mining Company (LTVSMC) processing plant and construct a new hydrometallurgical facility; construct a tailings basin facility on the site of LTVSMC existing tailings facilities; and add to existing utility infrastructure and rail lines. The draft permit to mine details the comprehensive terms and conditions, including financial assurance, developed to ensure that the project is designed, constructed, operated, reclaimed, and closed in a way that meets state standards.

The draft permit to mine includes a wetland replacement plan, which the DNR has deemed complete. The wetland replacement plan is currently under review by the DNR and has been sent to the technical evaluation panel (TEP) for review. The DNR will also accept comments from the public on the draft wetland replacement plan as part of the draft permit to mine comment process.

Before proceeding with the proposed NorthMet Mining Project, PolyMet must obtain a total of 12 DNR permits as well as other state, federal, and local permits and approvals. The DNR permits and approvals that are needed include the permit to mine (including financial assurance and wetlands replacement), water appropriation permits, dam safety permits, public waters work permit, burning permit, and an endangered species takings permit. A timeline of the permitting process is available from the DNR’s PolyMet webpage.

Discuss below - to view set the hook here.

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  • Your Responses - Share & Have Fun :)

    • Wanderer
      Nope!  But it’s more funner!
    • smurfy
      I don't need no livescope to catch fish....🤔🤪  It's all in how ya wiggle the worm!😜 Just sayin  🤣
    • Kettle
      Obviously this is more of a hot topic due to forward facing sonar. With that being said, I know people who have pulled crappies out of basins 40+ deep since the fl-8 and zercom flashers came out. That's over 30 years ago. I do think there's a push to ban these in MN and I could see them doing it here. They'll have to pay my livescope from my cold dead hands 😆 on days I can't catch a walleye jigging or rigging it's nice to turn it on and throw corks at individual fish
    • Kettle
      It wasn't just you, I was fishing west of you about an hour on Monday. Fished 8am-4pm, no fish, two keeper walleye and one small one from 4pm-630pm. Marked a lot of fish, they would come up to a jig and swim away. They were skittish to the dead stick too
    • leech~~
      I wonder like divers, if we let them decompress every 10' for 1/2hr. If that would help?  🤔  It would slow the bite down a bit!  🤭
    • carlsonmn
      That was a better study compared to last winter when they setup the vertical tube nets and tried to release exhausted fish from being studied and expected them to be able to swim straight down a 3' hoop net.     That lake's crappie population from this latest video was pretty deep at 40-50', and no doubt from those depths that is barotrauma for most.  That is deeper than most crappie holes but certainly how some are. However from helping give fish a good release from the 35' and less range and tracking them with live sonar most of them swim at a shallow angle back to the depths and I watch them rejoin the school and be active.  Uncut Angling's video helped counter some of the initial narrow findings.  
    • SkunkedAgain
      If you fished with me more often, you'd never have to make this statement...   38" of ice - love it. I'm really going to have to dig around for my auger extension. I don't think that I've needed it in over a decade.   Too bad nobody has a locomotive chugging across the ice to do some logging, like the good old days.
    • LakeofthewoodsMN
      On the South Shore...  Ice fishing remains strong across the south shore of Lake of the Woods out on Big Traverse Bay.  Resorts and outfitters on some parts of the lake have ice roads extending over 16 miles staying on nice schools of walleyes and saugers.  Many fish houses are over deep mud.  Some are on structure.  It is always fishing of course, but overall, February has been very productive for most anglers.   Extensions are being used on ice augers as the ice continues to thicken.  The thick ice this year will be good for the extended ice fishing season Lake of the Woods enjoys with fish houses out through March 31st, walleyes and saugers open through April 14th and a pike season that never closes. Most fishing activity is taking place in 26-32 feet of water.  Anglers are finding a healthy mix of walleyes and saugers, with a good number of jumbo perch in the mix this year.  Some big eelpout are also showing up.  Anglers are reporting plenty of fish for fresh fish frys and usually extra fish to bring home.   The one-two punch of a jigging line and deadstick is the way to go.  On the jigging line, jigging spoons with rattles tipped with a minnow head have been consistent.  Lipless crankbaits and jigging rap style lures also doing well.     Lures with a light have been working well in the stained water.  Please remember, in MN, lures with a light or water activated light can be used as long as the battery is mercury free and the hook is attached directly to the lure and not as a dropper line.     On the deadstick, a plain hook or a small jig with a live minnow 6 inches to a foot off of the bottom.    Some days, mornings are better, other days, it's the afternoons.  There is no distinct pattern, they could come through at any time. On the Rainy River...  The start of the day and end of the day have been best for those targeting walleyes on the river. A jig and minnow or a jigging spoon tipped with a minnow head is also producing some fish. Some big sturgeon being iced by ice anglers targeting them.  It is a catch-and-release sturgeon season currently.   Although ice conditions on the river are good, they can vary significantly due to the current, so anglers should always consult local resorts or outfitters for the most up-to-date safety information and fishing advice. Up at the NW Angle...  Ice fishing has been strong in the islands area of Lake of the Woods. Resorts continue to move their fish houses around, staying on the best schools of walleyes.     Anglers are catching a nice mix of walleyes, saugers, and jumbo perch with an occasional pike or tullibee as well.     Big crappies are still being caught just over the border.  Fish houses are available, check with a NW Angle resort for info on crappie fishing.   Lake of the Woods enjoys an extended ice fishing season with fish houses on the ice through March 31st and walleye and sauger seasons open through April 14th. Perch, crappie, and pike seasons remain open year-round.    
    • leech~~
      Maybe you should put rattle wheels down, if your going to sleep for 6hrs! 🤭 😆
    • JerkinLips
      Monday was my worst day of winter fishing on Vermilion in the last 4 years.  Caught only one 14" walleye in nearly 8 hours of fishing.  Missed two other bites and was marking very few fish.  Maybe the fish were taking Monday off after a big weekend.   No more water came up on the ice under my house.  Think it was because I haven't banked snow around it for a couple of weeks so the bare ice around the house is getting very thick.  I measured 38" of ice under my house and the Ion barely made it through even with the extension installed.  Needless to say I banked around the house this time.  Another lesson I learned today is don't drill holes if ice is frozen on your blades.  I did that on one hole and it didn't center properly and drilled at an angle on the edge of the opening.  Hope I can correct the location and angle on my next trip up.   Not much change in the surface lake surface conditions.  The drifts may be a little higher and are definitely harder.  There are still a few bare ice spots on the lake.  Very little activity on the lake today.  There are about 3 dozen houses from McKinley Park out to Birch Island.  Another person pulled there house off today, and I am sure many more will pull theirs off this coming weekend.  Only 13 days left of walleye season.    
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