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1) The Army Corps of Engineers has revoked a key permit for Minnesota's first copper-nickel mine since it "does not ensure compliance" with water quality standards. The NewRange Copper Nickel joint venture, created by PolyMet and Teck, is looking to advance a copper-nickel mine and processing facility near Hoyt Lakes and Babbitt. The Army Corps said that the company is able to apply for the permit again. In a news release, NewRange said it was "reviewing all of our options as we chart a course forward for the development of the NorthMet Project in a safe and environmentally responsible manner that considers NewRange’s communities of interest."
2) A study that was conducted by the Colorado School of Mines and published in Geology, evaluated the potential for mining cobalt from the Idaho Cobalt Belt (ICB). According to the paper, the cobalt at Iron Creek, in east-central Idaho, could produce at least 6,000 tons of cobalt, which is being explored by the Canadian miner Electra Battery Minerals. The cobalt is mainly found in cobaltiferous pyrite, while other deposits are in the form of cobaltiferous arsenopyrite and cobaltite. Although this is good news, the paper's authors say that the US still lacks the facilities needed to process the ore into a form that could manufacture its end products such as batteries. The researchers also found that the ore contains other critical minerals such as tellurium, silver and bismuth, including the chalcopyrite in the rocks that may be a potential source of copper. In the end, the paper concluded that the ore form Idaho should be divided and processed for copper and cobalt separately.