Mining companies are seeking a piece of what has been called the third largest mineral deposit in the world, while environmentalist groups are asking for more study of the consequences of copper nickel mining.
Five exploration companies are trolling in various parts of Northeastern Minnesota for copper–nickel and other semi precious metals.
Mining copper and nickel could mean billions for the Iron Range economy over the next several decades but many environmentalists ask at what cost.
The most recent battle is emerging over an old search site near the Boundary Waters.
A recent test commissioned by the environmental group "Friends of the Boundary Waters" is raising concern about ground water pollution from an old International Nickel exploration site.
Betsy Daub is the policy director for Friends of the Boundary Waters.
She says the test, done by an independent lab, shows high levels of arsenic, copper, nickel, and iron in water runoff samples near the site.
The site is near the Kawishiwi River but the tests do not show contamination there.
"We know nothing about the samples, we have received no information. All of this came as a complete surprise to us," said Ernest Lehmann.
Friends of the Boundary Waters say the water runoff was tested from a bulk sample taken by International Nickel in the 1970s.
Ernest Lehman, president of Mining Minnesota, says those tests are irrelevant.
He says exploratory drilling done at that old site is completely different from what is being done today.
"The time that bulk sample was taken the present rules were not in effect. What was done then is not relevant to the present time," said Lehmann.
"The sample was taken in 1974, which was prior to any mine land reclamation rules that were in effect in Minnesota," said John Engesser.
John Engesser is the assistant director with the Division of Land and Minerals in the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources.
He says a report done in the 1970s showed a presence of these minerals before International Nickel was present in the area.
"Gabbro comes to the surface in that area. Copper and nickel are exposed and there is natural copper–nickel sulfide oxidation that occurs in that area," said Engesser.
Engesser says while he is not sure if more testing will be done at the site, he says advancements in mining technologies make the process much safer than it used to be.
"With all the research that we have done here in the past thirty years we have a good basis, good knowledge of things that can be done to prevent that," said Engesser.
Some of the companies currently looking at mining the large mineral deposit include Duluth Metals, Franconia, Teckcominco, Polymet, and Kennecott Minerals
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