"The controversial Polymet mining project proposal near Hoyt Lakes on the Iron Range has been under environmental review for years, in part because of the potential for sulfuric acid to contaminate area waters. But as review nears conclusion, some mine supporters are worried about another potential environmental roadblock: wild rice.

Minnesota has a 40-year-old standard that limits the amount of sulfate that gets into wild rice-producing waters. The current standard limits discharges to 10 milligrams per liter.

Polymet's proposed copper-nickel mine would create hundreds of jobs. Representative Chip Cravaack, R-Dist. 8, hosted a third "roundtable" meeting Friday in Duluth with supporters and regulators of the Polymet mining project.

DFL State Representative Tom Rukavina of Virginia thinks the discharge limit could be a challenge both to precious metal mines like Polymet, and iron ore mines that want to expand. "

Get the Story:
Wild rice poses another obstacle to mine proposal (Minnesota Public Radio 10/7)

Also Today:
Wild rice 'the whole reason our tribe is here' (The Wisconsin State Journal 10/11)

Related Stories:
Opinion: Republican lawmaker no friend to tribes in Wisconsin (10/10)
Bad River Band gains another tool in fight against mine project (10/6)
WRN: Bad River Band discusses mine opposition with governor (9/21)
WUWM: Bad River Band worried about effects of mining on lake (9/14)
Column: Proposed mine affects Bad River Ojibwe Reservation (6/22)
Letter: Bad River Ojibwe will suffer most with proposed mine (6/15)
Opinion: Proposed iron mine poses a risk to Bad River Ojibwe (6/9)
'Manoominike: Gathering the Good Seed' takes up wild rice (5/5)