The Minnesota Pollution Control Agency (MPCA) has developed a draft wastewater permit for MagIron LLC that acquired the concentrator at the former Magnetation LLC near Grand Rapids, Minn. The facility will process former natural iron ore mining waste material into high-grade, low-impurity iron ore concentrate at the site and supply electric arc furnace steelmaking.
The draft wastewater permit requires the installation of four additional groundwater monitoring wells to detect potential groundwater contamination from permitted activity at the site. The permit also adds monitoring for aluminum in all groundwater monitoring wells and in the site’s clearwater pond.
MagIron will not discharge industrial stormwater or wastewater from its processes to surface waters. The facility will contain all snowmelt and rainfall within dikes and will store all wastewater from its processes in an on-site tailings pond. It will recirculate and reuse about 10.2 million gallons of water per day from that pond and obtain an additional 2.5 million gallons of water per day from the Canisteo Pit.
The MPCA values public feedback to ensure permits are protecting Minnesota’s environment. The agency seeks public comment on a proposed wastewater permit for MagIron through June 17, 2024. The public can submit comments online via MPCA’s public comment webpage.
The MPCA also expects to release a draft air permit for MagIron later this summer and host a community meeting to discuss the proposed air permit and its impact to the Grand Rapids area.
For more information on the MagIron facility, its permit and opportunities to provide feedback, visit the MPCA’s MagIron web page.