Counterpoint: Minnesotans deserve facts, not fear, on mining

I love Minnesota. I grew up surrounded by its lakes and forests, and I’ve built my career working to protect and strengthen the communities that depend on them.

As someone who has spent decades in natural resource management and environmental advocacy, I know that responsible mining and environmental stewardship can — and must — coexist. That’s not just a slogan, it’s the standard that every project in our state must meet to move forward.

That’s why it’s disheartening to see recent commentary — like the MinnPost Voices piece by WaterLegacy’s Executive Director Paula Maccabee — use misleading information and pseudo-science to falsely alarm Minnesotans about projects that are still undergoing rigorous, transparent state review.

Minnesota has one of the most thorough environmental permitting systems in the world. Every mining proposal is subjected to years of technical evaluation by state and federal experts, as well as opportunities for public input and tribal consultation. Standards for new operations are incredibly high. Suggesting otherwise misrepresents the facts and undermines confidence in the public servants who safeguard our environment.

For example, Maccabee claimed that the existing LTV Tailings Storage Facility once used by LTV Steel and now owned by NewRange Copper Nickel was unstable after a “moderate” June 2024 rain, prompting NewRange to scramble to build a spillway fix.

Related: Let’s scrutinize NewRange Copper Nickel’s new mining plans

The reality is that the LTV facility has existed without any stability issues for 65 years. Some surface erosion is expected in a 1-in-300-year rain event — the biggest rain one would expect since the founding of America — and the facility performed exceptionally well.

Global standards have improved dramatically in the 65 years since the facility was built. Modern tailings facilities are built and operated according to regional and global engineering standards. NewRange is seeking to bring the LTV facility up to those standards with the spillway and is working to make it become the first Global Industry Standard on Tailings Management (GISTM) compliant project in Minnesota, the gold standard in the industry.

Maccabee also claimed that the tailings facility is releasing “dangerous” levels of manganese into the groundwater. That sounds frightening, until you look at the actual data.

As independent reviews and the state’s own administrative law process have shown, manganese occurs naturally in northern Minnesota’s groundwater, often at levels well above what’s measured near the old LTV basin. In fact, the highest manganese readings in the area come from upstream monitoring wells that are completely unaffected by mining operations. Those readings were nearly twice as high as any measurements taken downstream from the tailings facility.

The Minnesota Department of Natural Resources and the state’s Pollution Control Agency have both reviewed this data and concluded that the project’s water management systems will meet stringent state standards and protect surrounding waters. In fact, because NewRange is operating on the former mine site, its proposed operations will help improve water quality from the site.

Mining Minnesota’s members believe deeply in the state’s environmental values. And modern copper-nickel mining can protect both jobs and the environment.

The copper, nickel and other minerals found here are essential for building the clean energy future we all want. Electric vehicles, solar panels and grid-storage batteries all depend on them. For the Iron Range, these critical minerals also represent an economic jolt to sustain the next generation of opportunity for a proud mining community that knows the value of responsible resource production.

If we don’t responsibly produce these materials under Minnesota’s strict oversight, they’ll be mined elsewhere under weaker environmental protections and poorer labor conditions. Responsible mining here is not just an economic opportunity; it’s an environmental responsibility.

I understand that some may be skeptical of mining, and that’s OK. Scrutiny is healthy. What’s not healthy is spreading misinformation or discounting the expertise of professional engineers, hydrologists and scientists who have dedicated their careers to getting these projects right.

Minnesotans deserve a fact-based conversation about the future of mining in our state. We can be proud stewards of our environment and still build the materials future generations will need.

That balance is what defines Minnesota at its best: practical, responsible and grounded in science. That’s the story we should be telling.

Julie Lucas is executive director of MiningMinnesota.

The post Counterpoint: Minnesotans deserve facts, not fear, on mining appeared first on MinnPost.