St. Paul, Minn. (June 16, 2020) – Jobs for Minnesotans today released the following statement addressing the Minnesota Supreme Court’s decision to review March’s Minnesota Court of Appeals ruling on the air permit for the PolyMet NorthMet Project:
“Jobs for Minnesotans is encouraged by today’s announcement that the Minnesota Supreme Court is reviewing the ruling on the PolyMet air permit from earlier this year. Also petitioned by the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency, the ruling negates the role of the legislature and the state agencies’ expertise and ability to do its work and make decisions. While we acknowledge the right and expected litigation phase of the regulatory process, this ruling puts the decision making into the court’s hands instead of the career agency professionals and elected representatives of our government.
“We are confident this project should move forward and the more than 15 years of thorough environmental review by state and federal agencies should be upheld. The metals that will be safely and responsibly mined are critical not only to an expanding green economy, but also to the infrastructure we have in place for reliable power and broadband communications networks.
“Projects like PolyMet will help bring economic prosperity to a region that is experiencing severe economic disparities. The project will provide approximately 360 family-supporting jobs to northeastern Minnesota communities and generate an estimated $515 million annually. It would help power growth of a more diverse regional and statewide economy as the first company to mine essential metals from the world-class Duluth Complex.”
About Jobs for Minnesotans
Jobs for Minnesotans, a coalition representing business, labor and communities, supports statewide opportunities for prosperity and middle-class jobs from sustainable natural resource development in Minnesota. The organization is committed to the principle that our state can preserve both job opportunities and the environment for future generations. Jobs for Minnesotans was co-founded in 2012 by the Minnesota Building and Construction Trades Council representing 55,000 workers and the Minnesota Chamber of Commerce representing 2,300 companies and 500,000 employees. For more information, visit jobsforminnesotans.org, follow @JobsforMN on Twitter and find the coalition on Facebook.com/Jobs4MN.
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Media Contact: Nancy Norr, Board Chair
nnorr@mnpower.com
218.590.6978