These risks are part of the reason that NorthMet lost three permits in a series of court and agency decisions in 2023. "This is a big milestone, and it represents forward motion for the NorthMet project," said Colin Marsh, director of external affairs for the company. At the same time, the company claimed, "Decades of geochemical testing confirms NorthMet tailings are environmentally stable, with naturally low sulfur content that minimizes long-term environmental risk from storage." The NorthMet mine was originally proposed by the company PolyMet, a subsidiary of the global conglomerate Glencore. The long and winding environmental review for the NorthMet mine, which began in 2005, has led to several revelations and important legal precedents.