Tamarack nickel mine enters public comment phase as Mille Lacs Band objects

• The Minnesota DNR is accepting public comments on the proposed Tamarack nickel mine from July 14 through September 14, 2026.
• The mine is a joint venture between Talon Metals Corp. and Rio Tinto focused on extracting nickel for electric vehicle batteries and renewable energy components.
• The Mille Lacs Band of Ojibwe and environmental groups oppose the project, citing risks of water pollution.
• “Once water is tainted it’s just never itself again,” Mille Lacs Band Chief Executive Virgil Wind said.

Mille Lacs Band warns mining could risk water quality

The Minnesota Department of Natural Resources has opened a public comment period on the proposed Tamarack nickel mine northeast of Mille Lacs Lake, giving residents and tribes their first formal opportunity to weigh in on the project. The comment window runs from July 14 through September 14, 2026.

The mine, a joint venture between Talon Metals Corp. and Rio Tinto, would extract nickel for use in electric vehicle batteries and renewable energy components. The project sits in central Minnesota, a region known for its lakes and watersheds.

The Mille Lacs Band of Ojibwe and environmental groups have lined up in opposition. Band leaders warn that nickel mining could contaminate the region’s waterways.

“There’s just so much at risk here for short term gain,” Mille Lacs Band Chief Executive Virgil Wind told Sahan Journal. “Once water is tainted it’s just never itself again.”

The Tamarack proposal is one of several mining projects in the Upper Midwest that have drawn opposition over the tension between resource development and water quality. MSI previously reported on the lifting of a federal mining ban near the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness, a separate but related dispute over copper-nickel mining in northeastern Minnesota. The Boundary Waters ban was lifted by President Donald Trump in April, enabling permits for Twin Metals Minnesota LLC.