Respecting the Environment

Before a new mining facility can be constructed, it must obtain a significant number of permits.  For a non-ferrous or precious metal mine the principal one is a Permit to Mine, which must be l issued by the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (DNR).  Additional permits (specifically regarding chiefly water and air issues ) are issued by other departments including the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency.

The permitting process consists of scoping, to identify the permits that will be needed and the issues that will need to be addressed in the Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) ; a draft EIS for public comment; a final EIS; and a Record of Decision and issuance of Permits.

The process is designed to involve the public and gather the best available information regarding all environmental concerns and means of mitigating them in a single place so that decision makers can be fully informed when they make their choices.

The process is rigorously structured by the state’s Environmental Quality Board around the development of an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS), issued by the lead agency (the DNR), but paid for by Franconia. This document identifies environmental and social impacts, discusses alternative means to mitigate these and selects a preferred alternative for mitigation. The Commissioner of DNR must make a finding of the adequacy of the EIS.

Both in the initial scoping of major permits and of the EIS, , there will be opportunities for public input through written and oral comments.  Before the EIS can be considered adequate, a draft is published, comments received and hearings held.  Franconia’s target is that the EIS will be completed in 2010 and the permits can then be issued.  During the scoping period, Franconia’s engineers and environmental consultants must also define plans for operation of the mines and the environmental studies that need to be completed to support the EIS and the permits.

The federal permitting process is similar.  At Birch Lake (Bob Bay) the federal involvement is expected to be small because little federal surface, minerals or wetlands are involved. Here the federal effort could be led by the USFS or the Corps of Engineers and perhaps US Bureau of Land Management.  At Maturi, because the deposit is all on a federal mineral lease there will be much more federal involvement. The federal lead on Maturi could be the Forest Service, the BLM or the Corps.  In many cases the state and the federal agencies cooperate on a joint EIS, often with the state as the lead, but the state and each federal agency makes its own decisions on permits.

Because of treaty rights, Native American bands may also be involved, at least in commenting. Legally, they may be represented by the federal EPA.

While the EIS and permitting process is going on Franconia will be developing a final feasibility study.  This study will need to include the results of the permitting process and permit conditions before a construction decision can be made by Franconia.