Duluth News Tribune
John Myers
One week before public hearings begin on Minnesota’s proposed new rules for protecting wild rice from sulfate pollution, the state’s mining industry, Steelworkers and Iron Range officials and activists are restating their fervent opposition.
Critics say the new rule could cause increased regulation for taconite iron ore processing operations and some municipal sewage treatment plants.
Open Letter to Zinke and Perdue to Repeal Federal Land Withdrawal
Mesabi Daily News
Gerald M. Tyler
In April 2015, collaborating with anti-mining activists, Minnesota Fourth District Congresswoman Betty McCollum (D-MN) introduced a bill to ban mining on all federal lands within the Rainy River Watershed of the Superior National Forest. In March 2016, Minnesota Governor Mark Dayton, in collusion with the anti-mining activists, directed the Minnesota DNR not to authorize or enter into any new leases or state access agreements on state lands in the Rainy River Watershed of the Superior National Forest. Governor Dayton’s unlawful directive prohibits mineral development on approximately 147,600 acres of state owned lands. The 147,600 acres include 95,000 acres of Minnesota Public School Trust Lands. These lands are owned by the state in trust for all public schools of Minnesota. Revenues generated from school trust lands are credited to the permanent school fund managed by the State Board of Investment including royalty payments. The Governor’s wrongful and unlawful directive prohibiting mineral entry and development on School Trust Lands will deny Minnesota schools of millions of dollars of revenues to operate and maintain the public schools.
WDIO-TV
Staff
*Click link to view video
Union leaders, DFL officials, and environmental groups are upset after two well-known advocates were quoted with some disdainful comments about miners in a piece to be published in Sunday’s New York Times Magazine.
Dave Lislegard, a third generation Iron Ranger, former steelworker, and now an Aurora City Councilor, sat down with Eyewitness News and shared his perspective on the comments.
“These comments and statements are extremely disheartening for people on the Iron Range. They are uncalled for and unwarranted. We can agree to disagree. But attacking our way of life, for the Range, it’s very disappointing.”
Read More: http://www.wdio.com/TWIM/mining-boundary-waters-becky-rom-nyt-article/4634176/?cat=10335
St. Paul, Minn. (Oct. 4, 2017) – Jobs for Minnesotans today released the following statement in response to recent bi-partisan actions by Reps. Tom Emmer (MN-06), Congressman Collin Peterson (MN-07) and Congressman Jason Lewis (MN-02) to allow responsible mineral production to continue in Northern Minnesota.
“Jobs for Minnesotans supports the important bi-partisan actions our leaders have championed in the U.S. House of Representatives. The actions to oppose the land and mineral withdrawal proposed by the U.S. Forest Service and renew the Twin Metals federal mineral leases bring hope to Northeastern Minnesotans that their way of life will be sustained and their economic future strengthened.
Reps. Emmer, Peterson and Lewis deserve great credit for working together across party lines, to represent the best interests of the citizens, communities and working families in Northeastern Minnesota and across the state. These actions help to eliminate delays, return to good stewardship of fair process and restore the opportunity to explore strategic metals in one of the richest mineral deposits in the nation critical to our economy and national security.”
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: Meagan Pick
jobsforminnesotans@gmail.com
952.346.6049
Emmer Bill Prohibits Excluding Federal Land from Mining
Mesabi Daily News
Staff
U.S. Rep. Tom Emmer, R-Minn., introduced legislation Tuesday that would prohibit the U.S. Forest Service from excluding any National Forest land from mining without approval from Congress.
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The bill also would restore mineral leases to Twin Metals, the company which has plans for an underground copper mine near the Kawishiwi River and Ely. Similar legislation to restore those leases already has advanced in the House.
St. Paul, Minn. (Sept. 26, 2017) – Jobs for Minnesotans today released the following statement about the organization’s support for strong economic development and job opportunities from the safe energy transportation industry and projects like the Line 3 Replacement:
“Jobs for Minnesotans strongly supports opportunities for economic growth through responsible natural resource development in the state of Minnesota. We currently have an opportunity within the safe energy transportation industry that Minnesotans cannot afford to lose. The Line 3 Replacement Project will have a total economic impact of more than $2 billion, provide a payroll of $167 million for local workers and create 6,500 local jobs over two years, according to a recent study conducted by the University of Minnesota Duluth.
“We also support a fair, transparent and timely review process. The regulatory process on the Line 3 Replacement project has been thorough and robust. We urge the Administrative Law Judge to recommend to the Public Utilities Commission that the Line 3 Replacement Project be awarded its certificate of need and route permit expeditiously. Minnesota benefits economically from an extensive pipeline network and it is important that we maintain, repair and, where appropriate, replace these important pieces of infrastructure. We will be voicing these thoughts at each of the 18 hearings scheduled in communities across the state from now until the end of October and we encourage others to join us and raise their voices in solidarity.”
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
Office: 218.723.3905
Cell: 218.590.6978
St. Paul, Minn. (Sept. 12, 2017) – Jobs for Minnesotans today released the following statement in response to the Department of Commerce opinion on the need for Enbridge’s Line 3 Replacement Project:
“Jobs for Minnesotans firmly disagrees with the Minnesota Department of Commerce opinion on the need for the Enbridge Line 3 Replacement Project. No state is an island when it comes to energy and critical infrastructure. As we move toward more sustainable sources of energy, our state is unequivocally dependent on oil to meet the demands of our state now and into the future. We cannot flip a switch and turn off our reliance on liquid fuels, so it is imperative we ensure our infrastructure continues to be safe for the environment and workers.
Line 3 is a critical piece of infrastructure that will be replaced with state-of-the-art materials and modern technology and trained individuals. It is an integrity-driven project to ensure our state can continue to safely transport energy to the people and businesses who depend on it for all aspects of our daily lives. Furthermore, our state will gain 6,500 local Minnesota jobs over two years and will benefit from more than $2 billion in economic impact, according to a recent University of Minnesota Duluth study. To say this project is not needed reflects a short-sighted outlook on the future well-being of business, labor and community in our state. This perspective will be shared as our organization continues to participate in the review process for this integral 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
JobsforMinnesotans@gmail.com
Office: 218.723.3905
Cell: 218.590.6978
Land Withdrawals Threaten Minnesota Community’s Future
Minerals Make Life Blog
Staff
*Click link to view video
Residents of Minnesota are fighting to save jobs after the U.S. Forest Service (USFS) and the U.S. Bureau of Land Management (BLM) announced a proposal to withdraw 235,000 acres of federal land from minerals exploration and development. This proposal will jeopardize thousands of jobs as well as billions of dollars in wages, economic investment and funds to supports schools.
Read More: http://mineralsmakelife.org/blog/land-withdrawals-threaten-minnesota-communitys-future/
Star Tribune
Rep. Tom Emmer
Minnesota is an amazing state with an abundance of natural resources and one of the best-educated and -motivated workforces in the world. We Minnesotans not only work hard, we play hard. In the Land of 10,000 Lakes, we make the most of everything our state has to offer.
For many Minnesotans, mining has been a way of life since the early 1800s. Although the way we mine has changed dramatically over the years, mining is even more important today to the future of our state and our country. In fact, one of the largest precious-metals deposits in the world has been discovered in Minnesota. This is why it is imperative that we preserve and celebrate mining in our state, not eliminate its future. Unfortunately, this wasn’t always a shared priority with the Obama administration.
Hundreds Attend Pro-Mining Rally
BusinessNorth
Ron Brochu
Hundreds of mining supporters attended a Tuesday rally in Virginia to condemn federal intervention that might prevent copper-nickel exploration near the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness (BWCA).
The rally was followed by a half-mile march to a U.S. Forest Service hearing that addressed a potential ban on mineral lease renewals near the BWCA. At the highly animated session, speakers said the proposed regulatory action was politically inspired during the final days of the Obama administration. Later at the public hearing, Ely Mayor Chuck Novak lamented, “My own congressman could not even get an appointment with the administration officials” who proposed the moratorium.
Approximately 234,000 acres would temporarily be placed off limits to mineral exploration if a potential moratorium advances. It would affect public land where Twin Metals Minnesota and its predecessor companies have already spent hundreds of millions of dollars on exploration efforts. The firms previously held mineral leases in the area which, in the past, were routinely renewed.
The rally came a week after Iron Range mining supporters boycotted a similar hearing in St. Paul, complaining it was unusual to gather input in a part of the state far from where a proposal is at issue.