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Media Contact
WaterLegacy welcomes media inquiries.
Media Contact: Paula Maccabee, Executive Director and Counsel
Phone (office): 651-646-8890
Phone (cell): 651-775-7128
Email: paula@waterlegacy.org
WaterLegacy in the News
Battle lines form as proposed Aitkin County nickel mine faces public scrutiny
Minnesota Star Tribune | August 6, 2026
“The lines were drawn even before the three hours of comment began. Mining boosters wore blue T-shirts emblazoned with the logo of MiningMinnesota, a nickel and copper mining industry group. A significantly larger group wore yellow bandanas with the image of bird claws, with slogans like “Talons off our waters.” […]
One concern raised by several commenters was the fact that Talon’s mine plan only concerns a small piece of the Tamarack Intrusion, a tadpole-shaped underground formation that contains valuable metals. The company has previously touted the quality of minerals outside of the project area to investors, saying it had “district-scale potential.”
But in a key document submitted to the state, Talon replied “No” to the question: “Are future stages of this development including development on any other property planned or likely to happen?”
“This is a bait and switch,” said Don Arnosti, who helped the state complete a 1990 study simulating the challenges of nonferrous mining. “We need to scope an EIS for the entire deposit.””
NorthMet mine changes await DNR review reopening
The Timberjay | August 6, 2026
““NewRange may want to say, ‘Oh, we did the right thing now because we’re such good guys.’ But the truth is that their prior plan was deeply flawed, and they kind of ran out of rope,” said Paula Maccabee, chief legal counsel with WaterLegacy. […] “PolyMet Mining Inc. and PolyMet Corp. are gone,” Maccabee said. “Instead, you have this huge conglomerate with Glencore and Teck Resources calling the shots and controlling two, not one, large deposits.”
Given the extent of the changes, Maccabee argues that the new proposal needs to start from scratch.”
Proposed Iron Range copper-nickel mine, long a source of controversy, gets new push
Minnesota Star Tribune | July 29, 2026
“Mine proposers are “in the position they are today, 21 years after their scoping, because they thought there were shortcuts,” said Paula Maccabee of the group WaterLegacy. “Doing it right now means a new permit, a new [Environmental Impact Statement]. Provide the details and let the regulatory process work.””
Plans for North Dakota nickel processing unclear as company also evaluates Michigan site
Michigan Advance | July 28, 2026
“Paula Maccabee, executive director and attorney for Water Legacy, said she has never seen a project of such magnitude have so many details that are unavailable. […] Maccabee has been holding onto documentation released to the public since plans for the nickel mine in Minnesota were announced, and has noticed that the initial environmental-forward plans outlined in the outset of the project are absent in recent communications.”
Proposed Minntac air permit lacks stricter mercury standards
The Timberjay | June 4, 2026
“A state rule, designated as 7007.0502, mandates strict mercury emission reduction plans for existing industrial facilities, but the MPCA has shown a consistent inability to prompt the state’s taconite industry to get on board with the new requirements. […] [WaterLegacy Executive Director Paula] Maccabee said the state has authority to act, with or without the EPA. In fact, she says, the state rules don’t appear to give the MPCA discretion on the matter. “The rules say the reductions must happen. It’s not a goal. This isn’t an area where the MPCA has discretion to let Minntac off the hook. The rule is clear. The need is clear. We’re just looking for safer fish to eat.””
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