ST. PAUL, Minn. – The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, St. Paul District, is seeking public comments on a new permit application submitted by NewRange Copper Nickel, LLC, for the development of the NorthMet Mine in St. Louis County, Minnesota. The comment period has been extended from Sept. 12, 2026 until Sept. 27, 2026, to ensure that sufficient opportunity is provided to the public to consider and submit comments regarding the Corps of Engineers federal action.
On July 29, 2026, the Corps of Engineers received a federally complete permit application requesting a Department of the Army permit to conduct construction and earth-moving activities within federally regulated waters and wetlands in association with construction impacts for the NorthMet mine following the revocation of their 2019 Section 404 permit in June 2023. NewRange is proposing a new location for managing tailings at the NorthMet project, as well as several design modifications. The full permit application and appendixes from the applicant can be found here: https://www.mvp.usace.army.mil/Missions/Regulatory/NorthMet/.
Comments should be submitted electronically via the Regulatory Request System at https://rrs.usace.army.mil/rrs/public-notices. Alternatively, comments may be submitted by mail to the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, St. Paul District, Regulatory Division, Attn: NorthMet, 332 Minnesota Street, Suite E1500, St. Paul, Minnesota 55101. Please refer to file number 1999-05528-WMS in your comments. Please note that all comments received will become part of the administrative record and are subject to public release under the Freedom of Information Act.
The mission of Corps of Engineers’ regulatory program is to protect the nation’s aquatic resources, while allowing reasonable development through fair, flexible and balanced permit decisions. The Corps of Engineers evaluates permit applications for construction activities occurring in the nation’s waters and wetlands. Corps of Engineers permits are also necessary for any work in the nation’s navigable waters. The Corps of Engineers makes permit decisions that recognize the essential value of the nation’s aquatic ecosystems, as well as the property rights of citizens who want to use their land. During the permit process, the Corps of Engineers considers the views of other federal, state and local agencies, interest groups and the general public. The results of this review are fair and equitable decisions that allow reasonable use of private property, infrastructure development and growth of the economy, while minimizing impacts to U.S. waters. The impacts to the environment are offset by mitigation requirements, which may include restoring, creating and preserving aquatic functions and values.
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