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Mine developers in Minnesota plan to move processing plant to ND

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FILE - Screenshot Talon Mining promo video in Tamarack, Minn.

TAMARACK, Minn. (AP) — Developers of a proposed nickel mine in northern Minnesota plan to move construction of its processing plant to North Dakota because of environmental concerns.

Talon Metals has been under pressure from environmental groups and the Sandy Lake Band of Mississippi Chippewa about a plan to build the processing plant in Tamarack, about 50 miles west of Duluth.

“Removing the processing facilities from the Tamarack mine site in Minnesota significantly reduces land disturbance and the scope of environmental review and permitting,” Talon said in a statement.

Todd Malan, a Talon executive, said relocating the battery-minerals processing plant to North Dakota means the company would need permits only for the underground mine and rail-loading surface operations in Minnesota.

The nearby Sandy Lake Band also is still opposed to the mine, the Star Tribune reported. And the Minnesota Center for Environmental Advocacy is awaiting environmental filings.

“They haven’t done their environmental review and permitting, yet there’s already $114 million committed from DOE (the U.S. Department of Energy),” said Aaron Klemz, chief strategy officer of the Minnesota Center for Environmental Advocacy. “Taking tailings out of that wet area to North Dakota will no doubt help them meet water-quality standards because they wouldn’t process on site. It’s higher-grade ore … and the economics probably work to make it possible to ship by rail to North Dakota. We won’t know until we see their regulatory proposals.”

Talon is negotiating to buy an industrial brownsfield site in Mercer County, North Dakota. The company has received a $114 million grant from the DOE for the project.

The Tamarack mine would produce primarily nickel. Telon and its partner, Rio Tinto, have already signed a six-year contract with Tesla to provide the electric vehicle company with minerals for its batteries.

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