Toxic Copper Mine Tailings Ponds may be Located Upstream from the St Louis River and Lake Superior

A copper mine in Northern Minnesota is going through the approval process. If it goes through it will spell disaster for the boundary waters; one of the most valuable and pristine natural environments left on Earth.

If you live in Minnesota - share everywhere! And, take two minutes to send an email to your local rep.

What Northern MN is in-for if the mine goes through.

From John Myers (pioneer press)

HOYT LAKES, Minn. — Of the bad things that could happen once PolyMet starts running Minnesota’s first-ever copper mine, critics say, among the worst would be a catastrophic breach of the tailings basin dam.

A hulking, man-made earthen dike that will stretch for miles and reach 252 feet high when finished, the dam will hold back millions of gallons of water mixed in a slurry with finely ground rock left over after crushing and processing — after the copper, nickel and other valuable metals are extracted.

Source: Safety of PolyMet tailings basin dams is point of contention in permit process

From Dr Gary Kohls

Copper/sulfide mine-contaminated Super Fund sites that occur near lakes, streams and aquifers can never be remediated no matter how many billions of scarce tax dollars are thrown at them or how many millions of dollars are theoretically set aside for the inevitable future catastrophic tailings pond ruptures. The few temporary jobs “promised” by the sociopathic corporations will not be given to the vast majority of northern Minnesota miners. There are less risky ways to create jobs.

The public will face seriously-enforced “Danger: No Trespassing” warning signs everywhere in the area. Secrecy will abound, because there will be so much (illegal?) activity that needs to be hidden from the public. (Antofagasta, by the way, is the Chilean owner of the Twin Metals copper mine that has been proposed for an area abutting a fresh water lake that is adjacent to the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness!!)

The inevitable leakage (sudden or gradual) of those waste dumps represents the worst case scenario for NE Minnesota’s future, for, if and when they burst, dissolve, collapse or otherwise lea, trillions of dollars worth of Minnesota’s priceless environment will be poisoned and lost forever.

Source: Toxic Copper Mine Tailings Ponds to be Located Upstream from the St Louis River and Lake Superior

What would it be like when the pond fails? From the Bento Rodrigues dam disaster we know that mining companies DO NOT clean up after themselves

Path of the St Louis River in MN. Imagine everything along its path ....

... looking like this! - The toxic wasteland that is the Doce Riverbed used to be beautiful and green, and the poison goes further underground.

Take action. Share. Call your rep.