St. Paul, Minn. (December 20, 2021) – Jobs for Minnesotans released the below statement following today’s news the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency (MPCA) released its revised finding on PolyMet’s air emissions permit and determined it will remain in effect:
“Jobs for Minnesotans celebrates the reactivation of the PolyMet NorthMet project’s MPCA air permit. The extensive scientific record of the project prevailed yet again. Today’s news moves the state’s first copper-nickel-precious metal mine one big step closer to reality and Minnesota one step closer as a major U.S. supplier of critical minerals needed to meet aggressive U.S. carbon reduction goals.
“We look forward to the day coming soon when well-paid, skilled Minnesota workers are building this important project and Minnesota miners are filling current gaps in the supply chain for these minerals. The U.S. and global demand for copper, nickel, cobalt and other critical metals is exponentially increasing due to the need build solar arrays, wind farms, energy storage, electric vehicle batteries and other climate change solutions. Now more than ever, it is critical we secure the ability to safely mine these metals domestically, where these projects are held to the highest environmental and labor standards in the world.”
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 70,000 workers and the Minnesota Chamber of Commerce representing 2,300 members and 500,000 employees. For more information, visit jobsforminnesotans.org, follow @JobsforMN on Twitter and find the coalition on Facebook.com/Jobs4MN.
###
Media Contact: Brian Hanson, Board Chair
brian@apexgetsbusiness.com
218.730.7330