Northshore Mining Company proposes a project to relocate the West Ridge railroad at the Milepost 7 Tailings Basin.
Our role
On June 29, 2021, the MPCA approved the 401 water quality certification for the Northshore Mining’s West Ridge Railroad Relocation and Tailings Basin Project.
Project information
The project includes the construction of a new embankment that will ultimately become part of the dam defining the final footprint of the tailings basin. The railroad is being relocated approximately 4,000 feet to the northwest, to accommodate the final expansion of the mine’s tailings basin. The area proposed for the tailings basin progression and related infrastructure is approximately 1,200 acres.
This project proposes to impact approximately 5,150 feet of Big Thirtynine Creek, 3,400 feet of Little Thirtynine Creek and 264 acres of wetlands. Mitigation for wetland impacts is proposed through the purchase of wetland bank credits. Mitigation for stream impacts is proposed to include six separate stream restoration projects, to be completed by the applicant.