The Minnesota Department of Natural Resources has received a proposal from Talon Metals for a new nickel mining project in Aitkin County in central Minnesota.
The proposed project, known as the Tamarack Nickel Mine, would involve construction of an underground mine and supporting facilities approximately one and a half miles north of Tamarack, Minnesota.
The mine would fill the increasing need for nickel, one of the key elements needed to build batteries which fuel the move away from fossil fuels. The United States produces less than 1% of the world's nickel supply, and American electric vehicle makers rely on supplies from places like Russia, China and Indonesia.
This project is likely to face the same scrutiny over pollution that has stalled other nickel-copper mining proposals in northern Minnesota. There have been serious environmental concerns about polluting lakes, rivers and surrounding wetlands, especially for Native American communities.
Talon has countered that by saying it will process the nickel out of state, and that the deep-underground mine poses little risk to the environment.
The Star Tribune is reporting Talon would plan to start construction on its mine site in 2026. It would begin extracting materials in 2027.
The Project would have an 80-acre footprint on the surface that would include an access portal to the underground mine, temporary storage for ore and waste rock, and facilities to collect and treat water. The Proposer would mine ore-bearing rock containing nickel and other precious metals at depths of approximately 500-2,000 feet below the surface. Mined rock would be transported by rail to a processing facility in Mercer County, North Dakota.
Disposal of waste tailings would also occur at the Mercer County facility. Per the Minnesota Environmental Policy Act, the proposed Project requires preparation of an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS), with the DNR as the designated responsible governmental unit.
“We understand that Minnesotans have widely differing perspectives regarding this proposed project and nonferrous mining more broadly. The DNR, however, must base its decisions on the facts and the law,” said Katie Smith, director of the DNR’s Ecological and Water Resources Division. “I want to assure all Minnesotans that the DNR is committed to a rigorous, transparent, and neutral review of the project, based on science and applicable state law.”
The DNR will review the submission to assess whether the basic information including:
The potentially significant environmental and socioeconomic issues requiring detailed analysis in the EIS.
Reasonable Project alternatives to be evaluated in the EIS.
Potential environmental mitigation options to address Project impacts.
More information on the project is available here.