Gogebic Taconite has received a long list of requirements it must meet before it can open a new iron ore mine in Ashland and Iron counties. The state Department of Natural Resources says the company will need to provide dozens of studies to determine the mine’s possible effects in a number of areas, which include groundwater, air quality, and a loss of wetlands.
DNR project manager Larry Lynch says Gogebic could file an application for a state mining permit in about a year, assuming all of the data is submitted. Lynch says it could open the door to a DNR decision by mid-2016 at the earliest. The company says the timetable is in the realm of possibility.
Once the DNR gets all the data in the application, it would have 420 days to make a decision on a permit. That deadline was set in a new mining law passed by the governor and Legislature a year ago.