REGIONAL— It now appears almost certain that PolyMet Mining will secure the land it needs for its planned copper-nickel mine by the end of the month, now that legal avenues to challenge the state’s largest federal land exchange to date have been blocked by Congress.

The U.S. Senate, on Monday, passed a major defense spending bill that included an amendment offered by Sen. Tina Smith, and backed by Sen. Amy Klobuchar, that enacted the land swap into law. The measure is expected to be forwarded to President Trump in the coming days for signature.

Meanwhile, PolyMet and the U.S. Forest Service are set to close on the land exchange on June 28, which will make the deal official.

“This administrative exchange gives us exclusive control of the land over our ore body and provides a secure foundation on which we can complete project financing and permitting, build the project, create hundreds of sustainable jobs, and bring these essential metals to market,” said Jon Cherry, president and CEO of PolyMet in a statement issued late last week.

The transfer of approximately 6,650 acres of federal lands to PolyMet consolidates surface land and mineral ownership in and around the NorthMet ore body. Upon title transfer, PolyMet’s total surface ownership rights will be approximately 19,000 contiguous acres (30 square miles) of land including the land at the mine and processing sites, the transportation corridor connecting those sites, and surrounding buffer lands.