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Interbasin water transfer. Piping water from the mine to Hat Rapids Dam will
move water from
the Wolf River drainage basin and into the Wisconsin River drainage basin.
However, this will
have no measurable effects on the environment because the amount of water
transferred will be
very small in relation to the sizes of the two river systems.
Pipeline construction. The environmental effects of pipeline construction
will be small and
temporary. The rights-of-way in which the pipeline will be built pass mainly
through second-
growth northern hardwood forests, wetlands, and farm and residential land.
Because these lands
are already disturbed by road construction and maintenance, they provide
only limited wildlife
habitat. When construction is completed, the land will be restored.
Where the pipeline crosses streams, CMC will use proven directional drilling
methods to place
the pipe several feet below the stream bed without disturbing the stream.
At a minimum, the
pipeline will be installed beneath the Wolf River, Gliske Creek, Mud Creek,
Monico Creek,
Venus Creek, Neptune Creek, the Pelican and North Branch Pelican Rivers,
George Creek, and
one unnamed creek.
The pipeline will temporarily disturb at most 13.1 acres of wetlands on or
next to highway rights-
of-way and along the snowmobile trail. After construction, the lands will
be restored, and the
wetlands will recover fully within one or two years.
CMC studies show that leaks in the pipeline are highly unlikely during the
entire life of the mine.
Even if a leak did occur, its effects would be negligible because of the
high quality of the treated
water. Nonetheless, systems will be in place to detect leaks, and procedures
will be in place to
shut down the system and make prompt repairs.
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