Why this area for mining? Just like the Quetico/BWCAW is a natural resource, the area south of the boundary waters is a huge mineral resource.  It is the second largest nickel reserve in the world and the third largest copper reserve in the world.  I believe in conservation of resources.  United States imports 100% of nickel and nearly 100% of our platinum.     (You need to Login or Register
They are actually strategic minerals and minerals that we use everyday in cell phones, catallytic convertors and other environmental and medical uses.     (You need to Login or Register In the scheme of the U.S. and Minnesota economy, I would surely like to get my resources from a nearby source.   They aren't mining in the Boundary Waters.  The Polymet site is using the former LTV iron mining site, their mine development is farther away from the BWCA that the existing taconite operations, and it isn't even in the same drainage basin.  The water flows toward the St. Louis River and the BWCA / Quetico is on the other side of the continental divide.   (You need to Login or Register

I also believe that we have better environmental standards and controls in place here as compared to other nations like Russia and China.  Do you think they care about green house gas or sulfide emissions?  I'm not convinced.  Someone mentioned the destruction of wetlands;  I should point out that we have environmental rules in place that require replacement and no net loss of wetlands.  I'm for environmentally responsible development of the mineral resources, and I believe that there currently is a regulatory system in place to make sure that our environmental permitting and reclamation procedures maintain the quality of the environment in the Boundary Waters for the next millennium.

starwatcher