St. Paul, Minn. (April 9, 2019) – Jobs for Minnesotans released the following statement in response to Governor Walz’ decision to file the Minnesota Department of Commerce’s appeal of the Line 3 Replacement Project’s Certificate of Need. This decision follows the Minnesota Public Utilities Commission’s hearing upholding the Certificate of Need late last month:
“Jobs for Minnesotans is disappointed by Governor Walz’s decision to continue the Minnesota Department of Commerce’s appeal of the Line 3 Replacement Project’s Certificate of Need. We firmly stand behind the Minnesota Public Utilities Commission’s (MPUC) unanimous approval of the Line 3 Replacement Project Certificate of Need, which was just upheld by the MPUC for the second time in the best interest of the state of Minnesota.
“At this point, we are deeply concerned about further delays to this extremely important project, when there is urgency to replace this line to protect the environment and surrounding communities. We strongly encourage Governor Walz to issue permits in a timely manner to prevent delays to the project while this appeal continues through the courts.”
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, Chair
nnorr@mnpower.com
Cell: 218.590.6978
St. Paul, Minn. (March 26, 2019) – Jobs for Minnesotans today released the following statement in response to the Minnesota Public Utilities Commission decision today not to reconsider, but uphold the Line 3 Replacement Project’s Certificate of Need:
“Jobs for Minnesotans firmly stands behind the Minnesota Public Utilities Commission’s (MPUC) decision to uphold the approval of the Line 3 Replacement Project Certificate of Need following the reconsideration hearing today. Time after time, the project has been deemed necessary by the MPUC in the best interest of the state. Today, the MPUC commissioners understood the sense of urgency to replace this line as much as when the Certificate of Need was first approved back in June 2018 and re-confirmed again in November 2018. We commend the MPUC’s diligence in upholding the thorough regulatory review process and rule of law.
“The Line 3 project is a critical $2.6 billion dollar private investment in Minnesota’s energy infrastructure, replacing an aging pipeline on which the state relies for energy security and economic competitiveness. The project will provide quality jobs to more than 6,500 Minnesota workers during the course of the project, including 2,100 family-sustaining construction jobs. And, bring Minnesota tradespeople back home to work.
“We encourage the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources and the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency to stick to their schedules to issue permits and prevent any further delays to the Line 3 Replacement Project.”
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, Chair
nnorr@mnpower.com
Cell: 218.590.6978
St. Paul, Minn. (March 22, 2019) – Jobs for Minnesotans today released the following statement following the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers issuance of the last remaining major permit for the PolyMet NorthMet Project:
“Jobs for Minnesotans celebrates the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) decision today to issue the Section 404 wetlands permit, which is the final federal permit needed for the PolyMet NorthMet Project. This USACE action marks a major achievement for a new era of mining in Minnesota – allowing the first non-ferrous copper, nickel, precious metals mining project in the state to be built.
“Jobs for Minnesotans commends the USACE, along with all involved state and federal regulatory agencies, for its rigorous process and thorough review of the NorthMet Project over the last decade. The project and its supporters can now put into action what we’ve been saying all along – that it’s possible to mine for these important metals while also protecting the environment.
“PolyMet will bring approximately 360 well-paying and family-sustaining jobs to northeastern Minnesota communities, re-energizing the region’s supplier and professional service network and assure long-term employment for skilled tradespeople. The project will also generate an estimated $515 million annually to cultivate a more diverse and thriving regional and statewide economy, as well as create access to essential metals to power the green economy and our modern world.”
“PolyMet is the first mining company to be approved by state and federal agencies to mine essential metals from the world-class Duluth Complex, one of the largest undeveloped mineral resources in the world with an estimated 4.4 billion tons of ore containing copper, nickel and platinum group metals.
“Jobs for Minnesotans deeply thanks mining supporters across the state for their diligence in voicing support for the NorthMet project throughout the rigorous regulatory review process. Minnesotans should be extremely proud to see this project move forward and usher in a new era of mining for the state.”
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, Chair
nnorr@mnpower.com
Cell: 218.590.6978
Star Tribune
Editorial Board
…Replacement of the pipe has become entangled in a bureaucratic, environmental quagmire that now has delayed the project a full year and sparked a battle in which Gov. Tim Walz allowed his Commerce Department to continue to challenge the Public Utilities Commission on its unanimous decision to issue a certificate of need. Shortly after, Enbridge announced the delay.
That means another year of risk to the communities whose property the old line runs through. Worse still, even higher rail shipments of oil. Without additional pipeline capacity, such shipments have hit historic highs. That oil travels through some of the most densely populated areas of the state, posing a potential environmental disaster should there be a derailment.
St. Paul, Minn. (Feb. 12, 2019) – Jobs for Minnesotans today released the following statement in response to Governor Walz’ decision to continue the Minnesota Department of Commerce’s appeal challenging the Line 3 Replacement Project’s Certificate of Need that was dismissed by the Minnesota Court of Appeals:
“Jobs for Minnesotans is disappointed by Governor Walz’s decision to continue the Minnesota Department of Commerce’s appeal of the Line 3 Replacement Project’s Certificate of Need. We stand behind the Minnesota Public Utilities Commission’s (MPUC) unanimous approval of the Line 3 Replacement Project Certificate of Need following a rigorous and thorough four year review. The MPUC commissioners understood the sense of urgency to replace this line to protect the environment, yet this decision dismisses their knowledge of the law and commitment to fairly and impartially weigh the merits of the project. Time after time, the project has been deemed necessary by the MPUC in the best interest of the public and the state of Minnesota.
“The project is a critical $2.6 billion dollar private investment in Minnesota’s energy infrastructure, replacing an aging pipeline on which the state relies for energy security and economic competitiveness. The project will provide quality jobs to more than 6,500 Minnesota workers during the course of the project, including 2,100 family-sustaining construction jobs. And, bring Minnesota tradespeople back home to work.
“We strongly encourage Governor Walz to issue permits in a timely manner to prevent any further delays to the Line 3 Replacement Project while this appeal continues through the courts.”
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, Chair
nnorr@mnpower.com
Cell: 218.590.6978
St. Paul, Minn. (Feb. 4, 2019) – Jobs for Minnesotans today released the following statement following the tampering of an Enbridge pipeline valve near Grand Rapids earlier today:
“Jobs for Minnesotans joins its thousands of members and the vast majority of Minnesotans who strongly condemn the dangerous and unacceptable actions taken today in the tampering incident involving an Enbridge pipeline valve near Grand Rapids. We value the safety of our communities, workers and the lands and environment impacted by these actions, and urge lawmakers and enforcers not to allow criminal acts like these to continue. We believe that projects following the rigorous state review and approval process should be allowed to move through the construction and operation stages safely, without worries of the impacts of drastic measures taken by those who choose not to pursue lawful means in making their concerns heard.”
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, Chair
nnorr@mnpower.com
Cell: 218.590.6978
St. Paul, Minn. (Jan. 14, 2019) – Jobs for Minnesotans today released the following statement in response to Rep. Pete Stauber’s introduction of H.R. 527, the Superior National Forest Land Exchange Act of 2019, to Congress today:
“We welcome today’s news that Rep. Pete Stauber has introduced legislation to ratify the already approved PolyMet land exchange. The U.S. House of Representatives passed a similar bill in the last session of Congress with overwhelming bipartisan support. We commend Rep. Stauber for following through on his campaign promise and thank him and other members of the Minnesota delegation for their continued support of the copper-nickel mining industry that will bring family-sustaining jobs and an economic boost to the communities of northeast Minnesota.”
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, Chair
nnorr@mnpower.com
Cell: 218.590.6978
Stauber Introduces PolyMet Land Exchange Bill
Duluth News Tribune
Staff
[Rep. Pete] Stauber, R-Hermantown, introduced H.R. 527, the Superior National Forest Land Exchange Act of 2019, to reaffirm a land swap between PolyMet Mining Co. and the U.S. Forest Service, according to a news release sent by Stauber’s office.
St. Paul, Minn. (Dec. 21, 2018) – Jobs for Minnesotans today released the following statement in response to an appeal filed today by the Minnesota Department of Commerce challenging the approval of the Certificate of Need for Enbridge’s Line 3 Replacement Project:
“Jobs for Minnesotans stands behind the Minnesota Public Utilities Commission’s (MPUC) approval of the Line 3 Replacement Project Certificate of Need and is not surprised by the Minnesota Department of Commerce’s (MDOC) appeal. The MPUC, appointed by Governor Dayton, has been the lead agency diligently evaluating the project details throughout the rigorous four-year public input and environmental review process. The MPUC has consistently ruled against the MDOC in several critical matters associated with this project. The MPUC just reaffirmed its unanimous decision on the project’s Certificate of Need as recently as November. Ultimately, time after time, the Line 3 Replacement Project has been deemed necessary by the MPUC in the best interest of the public and the state of Minnesota.
“The project is a critical $2.6 billion dollar investment in Minnesota’s energy infrastructure, replacing an aging pipeline on which the state relies. The project will provide quality jobs to more than 6,500 Minnesota workers during the course of the project, including 2,100 family-sustaining construction jobs. The communities along the route stand to benefit immensely from the approval of this project and it is imperative to the economic welfare of the state that it be allowed to move forward.”s
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, Chair
nnorr@mnpower.com
Cell: 218.590.6978
St. Paul, Minn. (Dec. 20, 2018) – Jobs for Minnesotans today released the following statement following the Bureau of Land Management’s (BLM) announcement of a public comment period regarding the Environmental Assessment on the renewal of Twin Metals mineral leases:
“Jobs for Minnesotans welcomes today’s BLM news announcing a comment period seeking public input on the environmental assessment of the renewal of Twin Metals mineral leases. This is a positive next step for Twin Metals after a rigorous and extensive review and public input process over the last two years on its mineral lease renewals. The renewal of the leases is just one of many important milestones that Twin Metals will work to achieve before entering the robust environmental review process required prior to any mining activity.
“We strongly support each step of the highly regulated process for mining projects to come to fruition including the timely renewal of Twin Metals leases following this process. This proceeding sets a strong precedent for future non-ferrous mining projects on how the federal government works with mining companies not just in Minnesota, but across the country. We are eager to see this process move forward for Twin Metals, as the leases are located within the world-class Duluth Complex mineral deposit in Northeastern Minnesota. The Duluth Complex is estimated to contain 4.4 billion tons of copper, nickel and other essential metals needed to support our country’s current and future infrastructure as well our nation’s efforts to move toward a cleaner energy economy. ”
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, Chair
nnorr@mnpower.com
Cell: 218.590.6978