MINNEAPOLIS — A new poll shows support for a proposed copper and nickel mine in northeastern Minnesota has declined.

The poll for the Star Tribune shows 40 percent of Minnesotans surveyed approve of PolyMet Mining Corp.’s plans for a mine near Hoyt Lakes, just east of the Iron Range. That’s a drop of 6 percentage points from a poll done in February.

The poll shows there’s plenty of support for the mine in northern Minnesota. Fifty-two percent of respondents favor the mine while 10 percent say it should be rejected. But the survey also shows support has dropped significantly from February when 69 percent of northern residents favored the mine.

Mason-Dixon Polling and Research interviewed 800 likely voters from Sept. 8-10 by phone. The poll has a margin of error of plus or minus 3.5 percentage points.