Comment on Minntac Permit by October 26
Dear Members,
I’m writing to update you on the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency’s (MPCA) draft permit covering water pollution from Minntac’s tailings basin. As you know, the tailings basin is huge: it covers 8,700 acres (13.6 square miles). It leaks pollutants, including sulfate and phosphorus, that end up in Lake Vermilion. The draft permit adopts U.S. Steel’s ideas for reducing the pollution flowing from the tailings basin into surrounding waterways.
On September 29, 2026, several VLA board members joined over 200 community members in Virginia to ask the MPCA questions about the permit. After listening to MPCA presentations and reading information the MPCA and U.S. Steel have provided about the draft permit, we believe that the permit, as currently written, does not require U.S. Steel to take the steps necessary to stop Minntac’s pollution of Lake Vermilion. There are several reasons why we believe the draft permit lacks the teeth necessary to stop the flow of pollution, including high levels of sulfate, from Minntac into Lake Vermilion.
Two primary concerns are:
A. The timeline for sulfate cleanup is extremely long: 45 years. Cleanup depends on the successful implementation of two novel approaches for stopping the flow of pollution from the tailings basin.
First, Minntac will construct a water treatment facility. That construction cannot take place until after an Environmental Impact Statement is completed. It’s unclear exactly when the plant will be completed, but the draft permit identifies an 6-year timeline. This is approximately 1 year longer than the life of the permit.
Second, Minntac will build a “cutoff wall,” which is a three-mile dam to stop pollution from leaking from the tailings basin. Construction of the cutoff wall is anticipated to be completed in 11 years (approximately 6 years after the permit expires).
Both of these proposals involve complex engineering questions that need to be resolved before construction on these projects proceeds. Furthermore, U.S. Steel can ask for extensions of time to meet its obligations under the draft permit. So, it could be many, many years before the pollution is abated. We believe the damage Minntac’s pollution is causing to Lake Vermilion deserves more urgent action and mandated penalties for failure to meet the draft permit’s obligations.
B. The technology proposed in the draft permit is costly, and the timeframe for it to stop sulfate pollution from Minntac is longer than the period U.S. Steel anticipates it will operate Minntac. It is unclear who will maintain the water treatment facility and cutoff wall (dam) if U.S. Steel ceases its Minntac operations.
Despite the huge size of the tailings basin and the complexity of the cleanup plan’s technology, there are no financial assurances required in the permit. We believe the draft permit should include sufficient financial guarantees to ensure U.S. Steel meets its obligation to stop pollution from Minntac operations now and protects Minnesota’s water and residents from pollution leaking from the tailings basin in the future.
We are urging our members to comment on the permit’s shortcomings and asking you to encourage your friends and family to submit comments. Comments must be submitted by 11:59 p.m. on October 26, 2026.
You can comment here: https://comment.pca.state.mn.us/us-steel-corp-mn-ore-operations-minntac-tailings-basin-wastewater-permit/surveys/contact-information
Please see below for a comment to upload or cut and paste into the MPCA comment portal.
|
|