The Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (DNR) has determined that proposed changes by NewRange Copper Nickel LLC (NewRange) to its NorthMet Project, submitted to the DNR on July 29, require preparation of a Supplemental Environmental Impact Statement (SEIS). In reaching this decision, the DNR applied all relevant state statutes and rules and evaluated the proposed project against Minnesota’s environmental review framework. The DNR also considered input received from the Grand Portage Band of Lake Superior Chippewa, the Fond du Lac Band of Lake Superior Chippewa and from some environmental organizations. 

The NorthMet Project is a planned mine and associated processing facility to extract copper, nickel, cobalt and platinum group metals, located about 6 miles north of Hoyt Lakes in St. Louis County. From 2004 to 2016, the project went through an extensive environmental review process. The Final EIS was published in 2015 and determined adequate by the DNR in March 2016, marking the end of the state's environmental review process at that time. On July 29, 2026, NewRange notified the DNR of proposed changes to the previously reviewed NorthMet Project design. 

Under state law, the DNR, as the responsible governmental unit (RGU), is required to prepare an SEIS when proposed changes to the project are substantial and affect the potential for significant environmental impacts of the project or if there is new information that could significantly affect those potential impacts. 

The DNR will conduct a state‑only environmental review. The DNR will coordinate with federal partners, as we typically do, to identify additional opportunities to enhance the SEIS process. 

The state’s SEIS will build on the 2016 Final EIS by evaluating the proposed project changes and any new information or circumstances; it will not replace or reopen the Final EIS. Instead, the SEIS will provide information that regulatory agencies would use in future permitting decisions related to the proposed changes or new information. Completing an SEIS is not a project approval or denial, and the environmental review process remains separate from permitting decisions.  

The DNR’s next step is to develop a Preparation Notice, which defines the scope of the SEIS. The Preparation Notice will summarize the proposed project changes, present relevant new information, outline the scope of the SEIS and contain an anticipated timeline for completion of the SEIS. Once the Preparation Notice has been published, the DNR will provide an opportunity for public comment prior to any final decisions on the scope of the SEIS.  

The proposed project changes may require new or amended permits and other approvals from state, federal and local agencies before project construction and operation could proceed. State and local agencies cannot make final decisions about any required permits until the SEIS is deemed adequate. 

The DNR is committed to a transparent, rigorous, neutral and science-based review process and will keep Minnesotans informed as its evaluation moves forward. To support transparency and facilitate access to information, the DNR has updated its NorthMet Project webpage. The website offers basic information, history and background of the project as well as an overview of the environmental review and permitting processes. As the DNR moves through its processes, the website will also provide status updates, fact sheets, and proposer-developed data and studies.