On December 18, the Minnesota Court of Appeals upheld a key air permit issued by the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency for NewRange Copper Nickel, a proposed copper-nickel mine formerly known as PolyMet. But the project still faces challenges and it needs other key permits to begin construction. In 2022, a coalition of Minnesotans against the project delivered a petition with thousands of signatures opposing the mine to MN Gov. Tim Walz.