News

The Minnesota Department of Natural Resources announced today that it has issued permits for Poly Met Mining, Inc.’s (PolyMet’s) proposed NorthMet mining project in northeast Minnesota.

The DNR has issued the permit to mine, six water appropriation permits, two dam safety permits, a public waters work permit, and an endangered species takings permit for the NorthMet project.

The permit to mine includes a financial assurance plan and wetland replacement plan.

Today’s action completes the DNR’s consideration of the major permits that the project needs from the DNR in order to proceed. However, the NorthMet project still requires water and air quality permits from the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency and a wetlands permit from the Army Corps of Engineers, in addition to other local permits and approvals.

“No project in the history of Minnesota has been more thoroughly evaluated,” said DNR Commissioner Tom Landwehr.

Minnesota’s firearms deer season begins a half-hour before sunrise on Saturday, Nov. 3, and the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources expects half a million hunters to participate.

Some points to remember:

by Tom Coombe -

On Oct. 8, Clearwater BioLogic, LLC—a company developed to economically remove sulfates from mining-affected waters in Northern Minnesota—was awarded $10,000 for being the best 2018 start-up company in Greater Minnesota. The award was presented by the Minnesota Department of Education and Economic Development at the MN Cup final awards ceremony at the Carlson School of Business and Management on the Minneapolis U of M campus.
Clearwater BioLogic is headquartered in Babbitt, the birthplace of taconite mining and a central location for the proposed extraction of the confirmed copper-nickel-platinum group metals on the edge of the Boundary Waters Canoe Area.

An Ely man is in jail and faces several charges, including four felonies, in connection with an incident in which he allegedly assaulted, kidnapped and threatened to kill a female acquaintance.
Ryan Savolainen, 40, has been charged with felony kidnapping, second-degree assaults, threats of violence and false imprisonment, as well as two misdemeanors.
As of Thursday, Savolainen remained in the county jail with bail set at $100,000.
A criminal complaint, released by the Ely Police Department, outlines a series of events that occurred earlier this week.
According to the complaint, Savolainen met the female outside Washington Elementary School because she agreed only to meet at a public place. Savolainen then entered her vehicle and told her to drive to his home in Ely or else “he would kill her and dump her body in the woods where no one would find it.”

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Information brief by the Minnesota House of Representatives Research Department
The following summarizes the history of the major actions occurring in the protection of the BWCA. Relevant Minnesota Statutes are excerpted on pages 4 and 5.

1857
Enabling act of U.S. Congress grants land to support schools (Sections 16 and 36) and University of Minnesota

1858
State of Minnesota admitted to the union; it receives ownership of the beds of navigable waters

1860-1870
Congress grants the state additional swamp and other lands—about five million acres

1902
U.S. Land Office withdraws 500,000 acres in future BWCA wilderness from settlement

A CROWD ESTIMATED at over 500 watched the Jake Forsman Memorial Car Show and Burnout competition. The event had 44 car show entries, 12 morning burnout and 26 afternoon burnout competitors on Oct. 20.

WINNER for the best burnout was Dan Forsman in his 1994 Camaro Z28 at the 2018 Jake Forsman Memorial Car Show and Burnout competition. Photo by Ruthanne Fenske.

Janelle Hakala of Ely is getting close to the end of her assignment at the South Pole. She has three more weeks left at the South Pole, she will fly out to Christchurch, New Zealand where they have a base station. She will return to Ely by the end of December. The MN flag picture was taken (photo by Rob Streeter) shortly after they received full daylight again (24 hour daylight). After being in full darkness for nearly 6 months, it was a time to celebrate. So here is our Ely native, flying the MN flag which she brought to the pole with her. After hearing the news of the Ely school launching a weather balloon last week, Janelle sent the school a picture of her launching a balloon at the Pole in honor of the science club. Janelle launches balloons every day to collect weather data. Anyone wanting to learn more of her adventure, can follow her blog at https://janellesyearonice.blogspot.com/