Environmental Group Seeks EPA Documents On Minnesota Mine

A Minnesota environmental group is suing the Environmental Protection Agency to force it to release concerns that EPA specialists have expressed about a copper-nickel mine in the northeast of the state.

The lawsuit Tuesday from Minnesota-based WaterLegacy seeks documents the group claims the EPA never submitted but that show the agency had “substantial questions” about the project before water and air permits were issued in December.

Environmentalists worry PolyMet Mining’s planned $1 billion mine will create a permanent pollution source from the St. Louis River basin into Lake Superior.

The EPA said in an emailed statement that it does not comment on pending litigation.

Environmentalists say that since President Donald Trump’s election, EPA officials have been forbidden from submitting written comments to state regulators about approving air and water permits.