Touted as state-of-the-art, the Flambeau Mine was owned by Rio Tinto/Kennecott and operated by their subsidiary, Flambeau Mining Company (FMC). The primary environmental consultant for the project was Foth, an engineering firm located near Green Bay, Wisconsin. Foth was involved in the permitting, development and reclamation of the mine and continues to oversee various remediation activities at the polluted project site to the present day.
Mining companies looking to develop the following new projects in the Great Lakes region have hired the same environmental consultant, Foth, to help bring their projects across the finish line:
- NorthMet (MN): St. Louis River watershed → Lake Superior
- Twin Metals (MN): Rainy River watershed → Boundary Waters
- Tamarack (MN): Big Sandy Lake / Mud Lake / Tamarack River watersheds → Mississippi River
- Back Forty (MI/WI Border): Menominee River → Lake Michigan
- Copperwood (MI): Lake Superior shoreline
When promoting their new mining projects to the public, Foth officials have pointed to the Flambeau Mine as “an excellent example of mine development and cleanup … demonstrating that economic growth can coexist with stringent environmental regulations.” (Foth, 2024; Screenshot). Unfortunately, the facts show otherwise.
Foth’s inability to prevent or successfully contain surface and groundwater pollution at the very small and state-of-the-art Flambeau Mine is well documented. As a result, there is legitimate concern over what might happen to Lake Superior and other public waters throughout the Great Lakes region if the much larger and more complicated projects being overseen by the same consultant move forward and, as was the case at Flambeau, Foth is unable to prevent or successfully contain emergent pollution problems.
Deer Tail Scientific has assembled a report that lists examples of how Foth “got it wrong” at Flambeau and also compares key characteristics of the various Foth projects in the Great Lakes region. To access, please click on the following link:
Environmental Consultant, Foth, Unable to Prevent or Contain Water Pollution at Reclaimed Flambeau Mine, Laura Gauger, Chair, Deer Tail Scientific, March 2024.
Deer Tail Scientific has also assembled a memo that demonstrates how Foth’s limestone amendment program at Flambeau failed to prevent degradation of groundwater quality at the project site. Here’s the link:
Use of limestone (calcium carbonate) during backfill operations at Wisconsin’s Flambeau Mine and its failure to prevent degradation of groundwater quality, DTS Memo, February 2025.
Deer Tail Scientific 
