Officials with the US Army Corp of Engineers revealed this week that they will not work with the Wisconsin State Department of Natural Resources (DNR) on a major part of the permit process for an open pit iron ore mine in the northern part of the state.
Local news reported that a letter from the Corps to DNR Deputy Secretary Matt Moroney said differences in state and federal environmental requirements won’t allow the two governments to work together on an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS), which is one of the most important steps toward getting a permit to mine. The letter also stated that officials needed further information on the project and an outline of the differences between state and federal regulations.
This could potentially delay the permitting process by years, according to news interviews of DNR insiders.