BusinessNorth
Ron Brochu
The federal government has reinstated two long-time mineral leases that it now admits were incorrectly denied in 2016 due to a legal error.
Twin Metals Minnesota began the process to renew two of its existing exploration leases in 2012. They previously had been renewed in 1989 and 2004. On Dec. 15, 2016, the U.S. Forest Service indicated it would not consent to a third renewal. The move, which came in the final days of the Obama administration, was felt by some to be a political move to prevent non-ferrous mining in Northeastern Minnesota.