Minnesota regulators are accepting public comments on a proposed nickel mine northeast of Mille Lacs Lake that has drawn opposition from tribes and environmentalists.The Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (DNR) is accepting comments on the Tamarack Mine until Sept. 14. It’s the first time the public has a chance to weigh in on the project, which has been in a back and forth with state and tribal governments for the past three years. The Tamarack Mine is a joint venture between Talon Metals Corp. and the international mining corporation Rio Tinto, which wants to extract nickel from deep beneath the Earth’s surface. The mine aims to meet the demand for nickel sparked by the transition to a cleaner economy. The metal is used in electric vehicle batteries and to create high-performance alloys used in wind turbines and solar panels. The Mille Lacs Band of Ojibwe and Minnesota environmentalists are concerned about the project’s potential impacts. Nickel mining is known to cause significant water pollution. If pollutants were to enter the flowing waters of central Minnesota, it could be devastating, Mille Lacs Band Chief Executive Virgil Wind told Sahan Journal. “There’s just so much at risk here for short term gain,” Wind said. “Once water is tainted it’s just never itself again.”