A public meeting to take comment on the PolyMet environmental impact statement will be held Wednesday, Dec. 9, in Aurora, from 5 p.m. to 10 p.m. The meeting is set to be held at the Mesabi East School gynasium, located at 601 N. First St. W.

An open house will be conducted from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m., with the comment portion running until 10 p.m.

Following the open house, there will be presentations about the PolyMet project and the Draft EIS. The meetings will conclude with more time for the public to submit written or verbal comments.

Instead of selecting a small number of people to speak for a few minutes to an audience, Minnesota Department of Natural Resources representatives will record oral comments one-on-one from individuals who want to provide feedback on the project at Wednesday’s meeting. A similar hearing is set for the following evening, in Blaine. The meeting rooms will also feature comment forms to collect written feedback.

“These steps will ensure the public has ample opportunity to comment on the record about the Draft EIS,” said Stuart Arkley, EIS project manager for the DNR. “These two meetings, coupled with the 90-day— rather than the usual 45-day—public comment period should result in a more comprehensive range of input that will strengthen the final document.”

The meetings will be hosted by the DNR, the state lead agency on the Draft EIS, and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) St. Paul District, the lead federal agency.

In Aurora, parking is available for about 240 vehicles on the Mesabi East School’s campus, so carpooling is advised. There will be additional parking and shuttle service from the Aurora Community Center, 21 North Main Street, between 4:30 p.m. and 10:30 p.m. Signs at the school will direct attendees to the three designated open doors.