MN Appeals Court Rules in Favor of Leech Lake Band on Proposed Huber Mill

The Minnesota Court of Appeals says that a wood products plant that is planned to be built near the borders of the Leech Lake Reservation needs a more detailed environmental review.

The Court of Appeals ruled in favor of the Leech Lake Band of Ojibwe on Monday and said the city of Cohasset must further study the proposal’s effects on wetlands and issue a new decision on whether an environmental impact statement is needed for the project.

Huber is proposing a $440 million mill in Cohasset, and last year, Cohasset approved a less rigorous review for the project known as an environmental assessment worksheet. But the Court of Appeals ruled in favor of the Leech Lake Band, whose reservation is only about a mile from the proposed site and said that two wetlands that are allowed greater protection under state law would be impacted by the project’s construction.

The court said in the ruling that the city’s conclusory determination that Huber’s facility will not change the character of impacted public waters and wetlands is unsupported by substantial evidence. They’ve ordered the city of Cohasset to issue a new EIS decision.