Minn. To Release PolyMet Mine Environmental Review

ST. PAUL, Minn. (AP) — Regulators on Friday will release a long-awaited environmental review for the proposed PolyMet copper-nickel mine in northeastern Minnesota.

The Department of Natural Resources officials say the document has grown to 2,200 pages. And it's just a draft. The release starts a public comment period to give people on all sides a chance to weigh in before the document is finalized.

PolyMet CEO John Cherry says he's confident the review will show the company can run the mine and processing plant without harming the environment.

But environmentalists point out that regulators have said PolyMet's wastewater may require treatment for up to 500 years, costing billions of dollars.

The DNR will issue fact sheets to help citizens make sense of the complex, highly technical document.

PolyMet hopes to start mining in early 2015.

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