St. Paul, Minn. (March 25, 2020) – Jobs for Minnesotans today released the following statement addressing the Minnesota Supreme Court’s decision to review January’s Minnesota Court of Appeals ruling on the dam safety permits and permit to mine for the PolyMet NorthMet Project:
“Jobs for Minnesotans is extremely pleased the Minnesota Supreme Court is reviewing the ruling on the PolyMet permits from earlier this year. The ruling – also petitioned by the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources – has a negative impact on the state’s overall economy, not just on PolyMet. It creates regulatory uncertainty for multiple industries and municipalities as well as jeopardizes state agencies’ ability to perform their work.
“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 by PolyMet 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 that provide many Minnesotans with the capability to connect and work from home in today’s circumstances.
“Projects like PolyMet will help bring economic prosperity to a region that experiences severe economic disparities even in a strong economy. 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