St. Paul, Minn. (March 3, 2016) – The hardworking men and women who build and maintain our state and its industries, and the companies that are the backbone of our statewide economy are celebrating today. The state of Minnesota issued its Adequacy Decision for the PolyMet NorthMet Final Environmental Impact Statement. Deeming the review adequate, this decision is a landmark achievement for the project and a crucial step forward for copper-nickel mining in the state.

The decision confirms the PolyMet project can create hundreds of jobs and economic benefits for the state while protecting the environment. This milestone marks the end of more than 10 years of intensive independent review and analysis of the PolyMet project and paves the way for the state’s first copper-nickel mine.

“The state of Minnesota should be proud today to recognize the promise of economic opportunity this project brings to our communities,” said Harry Melander, president of the Minnesota Building and Construction Trades Council. “I’m thrilled to celebrate this milestone. The PolyMet project will usher in a new era of mining that will create millions of construction work hours in a region of our state that is hurting and in need of good paying jobs.”

“The Department of Natural Resources, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and the U.S. Forest Service put forth exceptional dedication and due diligence in analyzing the Final Environmental Impact Statement,” said Doug Loon, president of the Minnesota Chamber of Commerce. “The review and analysis were accomplished in a thoughtful and deliberate process involving a wide range of stakeholders. This thorough process confirms that the project will create hundreds of jobs while protecting our critical natural resources.”

The Minnesota Building and Construction Trades Council and the Minnesota Chamber work in partnership to support economic progress from copper-nickel mining opportunities in Minnesota. The Minnesota Building and Construction Trades Council is 50,000 members strong and has represented unionized construction workers through leadership and advocacy for more than 60 years. The Minnesota Chamber is the state’s largest business advocacy organization representing 2,300 companies of all sizes and types across Minnesota and a half million employees.

The Minnesota Building and Construction Trades Council and the Minnesota Chamber jointly formed Jobs for Minnesotans, a coalition of business, labor and communities in 2012 to support statewide opportunities for job creation from proposed copper-nickel mining projects in Minnesota. For more information, visit jobsforminnesotans.org and follow @JobsforMN on Twitter and find us on Facebook.com/Jobs4MN.

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