On November 1, 2018, the DNR issued water appropriation permits for the Poly Met Mining, Inc. (PolyMet) NorthMet mining project. Minnesota law directs the DNR to manage water resources to provide for reasonable use while ensuring long-term sustainability and natural resource protection. The NorthMet project requires six water appropriation permits for various construction and operation activities at the mine site and plant site.
Water Appropriation Permits
Each of the permits listed below include Monitoring Plan, Quality Assurance Project Plan (QAPP), and figures.
- Permit 2016-1363: East Pit Dewatering
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Administratively Amended Permit 2016-1363: East Pit Dewatering (2 MB) – Issued July 11, 2019 »
Permit 2016-1363: East Pit Dewatering (2 MB) – Issued November 1, 2018 »
Poly Met Mining, Inc. (PolyMet) was issued Water Appropriation Permit 2016-1363 on November 1, 2018. The Permit required that various groundwater wells be installed at the Mine Site. Specifically, the Permit states “Well installation must be completed no later than six months from the date PolyMet obtains all necessary approvals for site access and well installation.”
Upon receipt of the necessary approvals for site access, well installation took place at the Mine Site during January through April of 2019. Due to warm weather leading to conditions that prevented accessing installation locations in wetland areas, PolyMet was not able to install three wells associated with permit 2016-1363. Accordingly, the Permit was administratively amended on July 11 to extend the timeline for groundwater well installation through May 1, 2020 for the following 3 wells (GW509, GW510 and GW521); this 1-year extension accounts for the need to work under frozen conditions.
The Amended Permit also removes groundwater monitoring well GW431 (Surficial Well) from the Monitoring Plan due to the lack of surficial material in the area to complete a well. The due date for the Annual Report is changed from February 15 to March 31 of each year to accommodate stream flow data that is not available until the end of February. Other minor administrative updates include correcting grammatical errors and updating dates on the Monitoring Plan and Quality Assurance Project Plan.
- Permit 2016-1364: Central Pit Dewatering
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Administratively Amended Permit 2016-1364: Central Pit Dewatering (2 MB) – Issued July 11, 2019 »
Permit 2016-1364: Central Pit Dewatering (2 MB) – Issued November 1, 2018 »
Poly Met Mining, Inc. (PolyMet) was issued Water Appropriation Permit 2016-1364 on November 1, 2018.
The Administrative Amendment changes the due date for the Annual Report from February 15 to March 31 of each year to accommodate stream flow data that is not available until the end of February. Other minor administrative updates include correcting grammatical errors and updating dates on the Monitoring Plan and Quality Assurance Project Plan.
- Permit 2016-1365: West Pit Dewatering
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Administratively Amended Permit 2016-1365: West Pit Dewatering (2 MB) – Issued July 11, 2019 »
Permit 2016-1365: West Pit Dewatering (2 MB) – Issued November 1, 2018 »
Poly Met Mining, Inc. (PolyMet) was issued Water Appropriation Permit 2016-1365 on November 1, 2018. The Permit required that various groundwater wells be installed at the Mine Site. Specifically, the Permit states “Well installation must be completed no later than six months from the date PolyMet obtains all necessary approvals for site access and well installation.”
Upon receipt of the necessary approvals for site access, well installation took place at the Mine Site during January through April of 2019. Due to warm weather leading to conditions that prevented accessing installation locations in wetland areas, PolyMet was not able to install one well associated with permit 2016-1365. Accordingly, the Permit was administratively amended on July 11 to extend the timeline for groundwater well installation through May 1, 2020 for the following well (GW517); this 1-year extension accounts for the need to work under frozen conditions.
The Administrative Amendment also changes the due date for the Annual Report from February 15 to March 31 of each year to accommodate stream flow data that is not available until the end of February. Other minor administrative updates include correcting grammatical errors and updating dates on the Monitoring Plan and Quality Assurance Project Plan.
- Permit 2016-1367: Mine Processing and Mine Site Infrastructure
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Administratively Amended Permit 2016-1367: Mine Processing and Mine Site Infrastructure (1.5 MB) – Issued July 11, 2019 »
Permit 2016-1367: Mine Processing and Mine Site Infrastructure (2 MB) – Issued November 1, 2018 »
Poly Met Mining, Inc. (PolyMet) was issued Water Appropriation Permit 2016-1367 on November 1, 2018. The Permit required that various groundwater wells be installed at the Mine Site. Specifically, the Permit states “Well installation must be completed no later than six months from the date PolyMet obtains all necessary approvals for site access and well installation.”
Upon receipt of the necessary approvals for site access, well installation took place at the Mine Site during January through April of 2019. Due to warm weather leading to conditions that prevented accessing installation locations in wetland areas, PolyMet was not able to install one well associated with permit 2016-1367. Accordingly, the Permit was administratively amended on July 11 to extend the timeline for groundwater well installation through May 1, 2020 for the following well (GW512); this 1-year extension accounts for the need to work under frozen conditions.
The Administrative Amendment also changes the due date for the Annual Report from February 15 to March 31 of each year to accommodate stream flow data that is not available until the end of February. Other minor administrative updates include correcting grammatical errors and updating dates on the Monitoring Plan and Quality Assurance Project Plan.
- Permit 2016-1369: Mine Processing and Plant Site Infrastructure
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Administratively Amended Permit 2016-1369: Mine Processing and Plant Site Infrastructure (1.5 MB) – Issued July 11, 2019 »
Permit 2016-1369: Mine Processing and Plant Site Infrastructure (2 MB) – Issued November 1, 2018 »
Poly Met Mining, Inc. (PolyMet) was issued Water Appropriation Permit 2016-1369 on November 1, 2018.
The Administrative Amendment changes the due date for the Annual Report from February 15 to March 31 of each year to accommodate stream flow data that is not available until the end of February. Other minor administrative updates include correcting grammatical errors and updating dates on the Monitoring Plan and Quality Assurance Project Plan.
- Permit 2017-0260: Colby Lake for Mine Processing Make-up Water
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Administratively Amended Permit 2017-0260: Colby Lake for Mine Processing Make-up Water (1.5 MB) – Issued July 11, 2019 »
Permit 2017-0260: Colby Lake for Mine Processing Make-up Water (2 MB) – Issued November 1, 2018 »
Poly Met Mining, Inc. (PolyMet) was issued Water Appropriation Permit 2017-0260 on November 1, 2018.
The Administrative Amendment changes the due date for the Annual Report from February 15 to March 31 of each year to accommodate stream flow data that is not available until the end of February. Other minor administrative updates include correcting grammatical errors and updating dates on the Monitoring Plan and Quality Assurance Project Plan.
- Historic Permitting Information
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The DNR completed its comprehensive review of the company’s six water appropriation permit applications and considered input from state, local and tribal governments. These applications were found to be consistent with rates and volumes evaluated and discussed in the NorthMet Environmental Impact Statement.
DNR accepted written public comments on the draft water appropriation permits from August 11, 2017 until September 12, 2017.
Water Appropriation Findings of Fact
Water Appropriation Findings of Fact (1 MB) – Issued November 1, 2018 »
Draft Water Appropriation Permits and Fact Sheet
Draft permits listed below include Monitoring Plan, Quality Assurance Project Plan (QAPP), and figures.
- Draft Permit 2016-1363: East Pit Dewatering (2 MB) »
- Draft Permit 2016-1364: Central Pit Dewatering (2 MB) »
- Draft Permit 2016-1365: West Pit Dewatering (2 MB) »
- Draft Permit 2016-1367: Mine Processing and Mine Site Infrastructure (2 MB) »
- Draft Permit 2016-1369: Mine Processing and Plant Site Infrastructure (2 MB) »
- Draft Permit 2017-0260: Colby Lake for Mine Processing Make-up Water (2 MB) »
Fact Sheet - Draft Water Appropriation Permits Fact sheet (1 MB) »
Water Appropriation Permit Applications
April 14, 2017 Applications
- Cover Letter - Water Appropriation (1 MB) »
- Water Appropriation Permit Applications (213 MB) »
Previous Applications
- Cover Letter - Water Appropriation (1 MB) »
Updated on February 8, 2017 - Water Appropriation Permit Applications (213 MB) »
Updated on February 8, 2017 - Cover Letter - Water Appropriation (1 MB) »
Submitted on July 11, 2016 - Water Appropriation Permit Applications (213 MB) »
Submitted on July 11, 2016
Reference documents
Final Environmental Impact Statement: NorthMet Mining Project and Land Exchange (link to final document webpage) »
Plant Site Water Management Plan v5 (44 MB) »
Mine Site Water Management Plan v5 (41 MB) »
Mine Site Water Modeling Data Package Volume 1 v14 (178 MB) »
Mine Site Hydrologic Investigation Phase 1 RS-02 (5 MB) »
Mine Site Hydrologic Investigation Phase 2 RS-10 (4 MB) »
Hydrologic Investigation Phase 3 RS-10A (3 MB) »
Rock and Overburden Management Plan v8 (101 MB) »
Plant Site Water Modeling Data Package Volume 2 v11 (122 MB) »
Geotechnical Data Package Volume 1 – Flotation Tailings Basin v7 (121 MB) »
Ground Water Profile: Arrowhead Region (1 MB) »
Hydrogeology of Fractured Bedrock in the Vicinity of NorthMet v3 (8 MB) »
St. Louis River Watershed Monitoring and Assessment Report (8 MB) »
Minnesota Comprehensive Water Management Plant Update 2010-2020 (1 MB) »
Source Water Assessment – City of Hoyt Lakes (1 MB) »
Babbitt Drinking Water Supply Management Area (3 MB) »
Source Water Assessment – City of Aurora (1 MB) »
Simple Analytical Equations for Estimating Ground Water Inflow to a Mine Pit – 2000 (1 MB) »
Underdrain Piping Calculations Technical Memorandum – 2013 (8 MB) »