Minnesota Enacts New Legislation Streamlining State Environmental Review and Permitting for Projects, Including New Mining Projects

摘要

On March 3, 2011, Minnesota enacted new legislation designed to accelerate and simplify the environmental review and permitting process for projects in the state, a goal of stakeholders since the 1970s. Because mining projects in Minnesota will generally need to complete an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) and secure a variety of state permits and approvals, including a permit to mine and a variety of water-related permits, this new law has the potential to significantly impact the decision-making process for mining projects in Minnesota, particularly those projects seeking to develop private or state minerals. See, e.g., Minn. R. 4410.2000. The new law has several critical new components to promote efficient decision-making at the state level for environmental permits and streamline the EIS process.