Thanks for posting. Much of this is technical and I know there are many on this board that will be able to glean interesting nuggets from the Q&As, but the major theme that stood out to me throughout is that the opponents' questions were all about what happens when the mine apocalypse strikes, and NDEP's position is that they make sure the mine has a workable plan, they put restrictions and conditions in place, and then they trust that the mine will operate safely (because it's in their best interest to do so). 

It looks to me that the NDEP's position throughout is to justify to the concerned public why the permit will be granted (because they are mandated to grant permits provided the application meets existing laws), and to alleviate some concerns.

Bullish!