Overview
The Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (MNDNR) was the Responsible Governmental Unit (RGU) for conducting an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) for the proposed U. S. Steel Keetac Mine Expansion Project. The EIS was jointly conducted with the U. S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE).
U. S. Steel proposes to mine taconite ore from an expanded open pit mine and upgrade and operate a currently idle taconite processing line to increase iron pellet production from 6 million tons a year to 9.6 million tons a year. Keetac is located near the City of Keewatin, MN on the boundary between St. Louis and Itasca counties.
Questions may be directed to Erik Carlson, Principal Planner at (651) 259-5162 or [email protected].
Adequacy Determination
The DNR has determined the final EIS to be adequate pursuant to Minnesota Rules, part 4410.2800, subpart 4.
EIS Record of Decision and Response to Comments Received During the final EIS Comment Period
Final EIS
The MNDNR and the USACE prepared the final EIS from February 2010 to November 2010. This document discloses potential environmental, social and economic effects stemming from the proposed project and alternatives, and responds to public comments received during the draft EIS public comment period. The MNDNR and USACE invited comments on the final EIS from November 12, 2010 to December 20, 2010.
Volume I: Final EIS text (8.2 Mb)
Draft EIS
The MNDNR and USACE prepared the draft EIS from November 2008 to December 2009. The MNDNR and USACE invited comments on the draft EIS during a 45-day comment period that concluded January 26, 2010. The MNDNR and the USACE held a draft EIS public comment meeting on Monday, January 11, 2010, in Hibbing, Minnesota.
Reference EIS Documents
Previously completed EIS documents are incorporated into the Keetac draft EIS and final EIS by reference. The analyses within these documents are relied on in the cumulative effects biomass analysis, Section 5.1. They are used to estimate potential cumulative roundwood harvest impacts associated with the proposed Keetac Mine Expansion Project.
Scoping
The MNDNR and USACE scoped the draft EIS from spring of 2008 to November 2008. The MNDNR and the USACE took comments on the draft EIS scope during a 30-day scoping period that concluded on October 8, 2008. A public scoping meeting was held on October 1, 2008 in Nashwauk, Minnesota. The Final Scoping Decision Document operated as the blueprint for EIS preparation.