Legalectric

I first learned of this project when a friend in the neighborhood send a flyer and talking points from a meeting held up there in 2019, so I looked into it then, and there wasn’t much available:

Tamarack copper-nickel exploration? November 13th, 2019

This was the map of the site then:

DNR? Find a summary report and associated map of the proposed exploration related activities at the DNR’s exploration plan webpage. Their “exploration plan” was submitted on March 8, 2022 and approved on March ? … page was just updated, says now it was approved April 12, 2022. TODAY?!?!

Per the DNR page:

Here’s the latest map, published by DNR last month, with the Summary Report and Associated Map (DNR Source)  PDF . Note it was “Talon Metals” a while ago, and now on the DNR docs it’s “Talon Nickel LLC.”

And earlier there was these psychedelic maps that reminded me of knee surgery! Check it out:

Talon Metals near Tamarack? January 28th, 2021

Here’s what they claim for “resources” at the site:

Talon Metals is based in the Virgin Islands, c/o Craigmuir Chambers, P.O Box 71, Road Town, Tortola
British Virgin Islands, and the P.O. Box reminds me of Goodhue Wind’s office in the Goodhue Post Office!

Talon Metals does have a page for this project:

Tamarack Mine – Nickel Copper Cobalt – Talon Metals Corp

But when the Center of the American Experiment locks onto something, that’s a sign to pay attention:

Tamarack nickel mine could begin mining by 2026

Dream on…

Anyway, another email about this appeared recently, and there was a reference to:

www.tamarackwateralliance.org – with ZERO info on who the heck this is, what orgs are involved, no information whatsoever. That’s a big red flag for me.

There is this on that page, but again, no entities, individuals, no identification whatsoever:

Tamarack Water Alliance Consolidated Community Meeting Presentation

Inquiring minds want to know… I really don’t give credibility to anonymous info and sites out there on the interwebs.

This Talon project must be challenged, and STOPPED!

Found this, at the DNR’s News and Public Notices page:

March 15, 2022 – Plan submitted to explore on state nonferrous metallic minerals lease

Talon Nickel (USA) LLC (Talon) submitted a proposed plan to continue exploring for metallic mineral deposits in Aitkin County. Exploration will occur on leased state mineral rights in an area north of Tamarack, Minnesota. Kennecott Exploration Company (Kennecott) and Talon have explored in this area since the early 2000s.

Talon’s exploration plan proposes drilling exploratory borings using the diamond core method at up to 25 drill sites. Talon notes the possibility of multiple borings at each site. Talon plans to use existing access to drill sites. The company may need to construct new trails to reach some areas. Drilling activity, including sealing, will follow regulations set by the Department of Health.

Talon’s proposed plan includes downhole geophysical surveys in newly drilled borings and borings that are temporarily sealed. Talon’s proposal includes plans to use a drill rig to clear any blocked borings. The new exploration plan indicates that surveyors may conduct geophysical surveys on foot within the boundaries of the leased state mineral rights. When conducting ground-based geophysical surveys, surveyors may need to cut small amounts of brush to make room for the portable survey equipment, but surveyors will not cut lines or grids. Talon will place signs when conducting geophysical surveys.

Kennecott, which designated Talon as the operator for the proposed exploration activity, holds the state leases. The Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (DNR) has approved the operating agreement between Kennecott and Talon.

Upon DNR approval, Talon has the right to explore state-owned lands consistent with the exploration plan, any stipulations, and applicable laws and rules.

Find a summary report and associated map of the proposed exploration related activities at the DNR’s exploration plan webpage.

Wisconsin folks, call your legislators! Support this bill!

https://legis.wisconsin.gov/

Why? Wisconsin has a “brownfield” bill, but Public Service Commissioners IGNORE the requirement that energy infrastructure be built on brownfields:

Wis. Stat. §196.491(3)(d)8:

(d) Except as provided under par. (e), the commission shall approve an application filed under par. (a) 1. for a certificate of public convenience and necessity only if the commission determines all of the following:

8. For a large electric generating facility, brownfields, as defined in s. 238.13 (1) (a), are used to the extent practicable.

Despite this clear requirement, they acknowledge it, laugh about it, and dismiss it without consideration, and instead site on prime and protected agricultural land.

So YES! This, something I’ve been advocating for, for YEARS!

IT’S SO HARD TO BE PATIENT!!!

Trump deflects blame for Jan 6 silence, says he wanted to march to Capitol

Cannot help but think that the little public info does show that the January 6th Select Committee is circling around John Eastman, more and more reports about him, his repeated “taking the fifth,” and his inability to quash supboena, and glad to see that Clarence Thomas, Ginni Thomas, and Donald Trump are in that circling flow:

Yes, we have a serious ethical problem, corruption at the highest levels…

I was looking at that bogus Texas lawsuit challenging the 2020 elections, the one that 125 U.S. Representatives signed onto and filed Amicus brief, looking at all of the filings, and found this, a “Motion of Donald J. Trump” to file Amicus brief. And look who the attorney is on it. It’s John Eastman, filing before U.S. Supreme Court. Eastman was clerk for Clarence Thomas at Supreme Court, and is also buddy of Ginni Thomas. And from the New York Times, “The Long Crusade of Clarence and Ginni Thomas.”

Here’s the full brief:

The Center of the American Experiment is at it again. Seems they object to being held accountable. Seems that Erin Nystrom, a member of Rochester Golf and Country Club (RGCC), filed a petition with 90? 100? signatures demanding that the RGCC cancel the presentation scheduled by CAE based on divisive results of a prior CAE presentation urging people to flood the next school board meeting objecting to “Critical Race Theory” (despite that the notion that this is school curriculum thoroughly debunked), and responses to other CAE presentations around the state. RGCC Board took up the matter, and it appears that this was more than a day before the presentation (looking for verification). Anyway, CAE objects, claiming “cancel culture” and legally claiming breach of contract. The Amended Complaint is below.

A couple of posts, first from CAE and followed by Med City:

“Activists shut down Rochester law enforcement panel event” (CAE’s video MIA!)

Rochester Golf and Country Club cancels ‘crime crisis’ event after facing backlash

From the Med City post just above:

Prior to the event’s cancellation, Torgerson offered a similar take on why he agreed to participate on the panel. Speaking to KAAL-TV’s Betsy Singer, the sheriff said while he doesn’t believe there is a crime crisis in the area, he did welcome the opportunity to discuss the issues facing law enforcement.

Center of the American Experiment was not happy about this cancellation of their shindig.

Center of the American Experiment, through its attorney, Gregory Joseph (remember the “Recall City Hall” bogus lawsuit, quickly withdrawn?) filed Notice of Motion and Motion for a Temporary Restraining Order in Olmsted County District Court, and got this result:

Pretty simple, “Denied. Plaintiffs do not have the right to a hearing without proper filing of suit and motions.”

And about 4 hours after this order of DENIAL, Joseph sent this:

Apparently he didn’t get the message, so another judge filed this a couple hours later:

They DID file a Complaint and Memorandum, but not until AFTER the dismissal, and filed this Amended Complaint on Tuesday, April 5, 2022, 3 weeks after their initial filing:

Note that Joseph has changed from his private practice to “Upper Midwest Law Center,” where he is listed now not as “inhouse” but as “outhouse” counsel:

I wonder if Joseph is trying to pick up the Erick Kaardal contingent — that seems to be the Upper Midwest Law Center‘s focus.

Erick Kaaardal has been very active in SE Minnesota and also with “groups” and “organizations” politically and philosophically in line with those of Center of the American Experiment.

Joseph does seem to be following some of Kaardal’s playbook. If so, he perhaps should exercise caution and not follow it too closely?!?! Kaardal is up against sanctions for participating in filing a bogus 2020 election lawsuit. It was the threat of sanctions which lead to Joseph’s withdrawal of the “Recall City Hall” lawsuit. Recall committee drops lawsuit against City Council members and Red Wing recall lawsuit dropped . . . for now.

Here’s some of the scoop on Kaardal, first regarding the judge’s referral for sanctions:

And why referred for sancions? Here’s the original Complaint in that underlying case, and here’s the judge’s Memorandum on Order Denying Injunction, tossing it out.

And local folks here in SE Minnesota, don’t forget that CD1’s former Rep. Jim Hagedorn voted to deny certification of the 2020 election. And don’t forget that “our” SD21’s Rep. Steve Drazkowski and Senator Goggin requested, with other MN legislators, that the Texas A.G. add Minnesota to the bogus Texas lawsuit challenging the 2020 election results, disenfranchising Minnesotans in this free and fair election! Those signing this letter have no business continuing as Minnesota legislators.

Dismissal of that lawsuit (note Thomas’ take on this — hmmmmm, Clarence, Ginni, or both?!?):

A wind energy company has pleaded guilty after killing at least 150 eagles

What’s really odd about this is that most of the projects that I’ve been dealing with in permitting have secured eagle take permits — I thought. In this case, NextEra seems as a policy not to have take permits. HUH?

I am remembering resistance to developers answering questions about eagle take permits, and I think that it comes down to whether USFWS requires them to get one.

Here’s USFWS info on eagle permits here in the Midwest – it appears that there are only three eagle take permits issued for Minnesota wind projects, Red Pine, Getty/Black Oak, and Pleasant Valley/Grand Meadow:

Midwest Region- NEPA Documents for Eagle Permits

This seems to say that there are only FIVE eagle take permits? Here’s the application for one project that I’d worked on:

Black Oak/Getty Wind Farm Eagle Take Permit Application

For the Freeborn Wind project, we entered information about locations of nests and photos of eagles foraging, nests and foraging territory being, supposedly, two criteria examined in siting of wind projects and consideration of need for take permits:

See Freeborn Wind ALJ Recommendation, and search for “eagle” in the Recommendation.

Methinks this will have significant impact, but sentencing a company to probation — but how does that work?