Duluth News Tribune
Opinion: Nancy Norr
In my 25 years of experience as an economic-development professional, I’ve never come across an opportunity as important to Northeastern Minnesota’s economic future as copper-nickel mining. A significant economic base for this region is and will remain mining. The growth of this industry is critical to the long-term success of the region and will support a way of life for generations to come. The economic opportunity stretches from the environmental technician at the mine site in Hoyt Lakes to the engineering professionals in downtown Duluth.
PolyMet Mining’s proposed NorthMet project represents a continuation of our strong mining tradition. As the public comment period for the project’s Supplemental Draft Environmental Impact Statement comes to a close, we are one step closer to bringing 360 full-time mining jobs to the Iron Range and more than 600 spinoff jobs in other industries.
These are career opportunities our young people need to support families. Too often in greater Minnesota we see empty storefronts, classrooms and industrial parks. Longtime residents are forced to move their families out of town to find work. This is the present, but it does not have to be the future; we can have thriving communities again.
Read more: http://www.duluthnewstribune.com/event/article/id/293711/group/Business/
Grand Rapids Herald-Review
Opinion: Nancy Norr
After 25 years in economic development, I’ve never come across an opportunity as important to our region’s future as copper-nickel mining. The growth of this industry is critical to our long-term success and will support a way of life for generations to come.
As the public comment period for PolyMet’s Supplemental Draft Environmental Impact Statement comes to a close, we are one step closer to bringing 360 full-time mining jobs to the Range and more than 600 spin-off jobs in other industries. These are career opportunities that our young people need to support families. In my travels in Northern Minnesota I still see too many empty storefronts and industrial parks. Without jobs, long-time residents are forced to move their families out of town to find work. This is the present, but it does not have to be the future – we can thrive again.
Read more: http://www.grandrapidsmn.com/opinion/article_e3b0ea22-a641-11e3-bb1f-001a4bcf887a.html
It’s Common Sense — Mining Is Good for All
Mesabi Daily News
Opinion: U.S. Rep. Rick Nolan
Common sense tells me Iron Range mining is good for our economy — achieving energy independence, creating jobs, and going “Green.”
The Duluth Complex and the Iron Range contain one of the largest untapped deposits of iron ore, copper, nickel, and other precious metals, on Earth.
Despite the rich deposits we have right here at home, we are still importing a third of all the copper used in America, and almost all of the nickel. That makes no sense.
Read more: http://www.virginiamn.com/opinion/letters/article_56fe5d90-a1b8-11e3-922d-0019bb2963f4.html
New Generation of Mining Is Spark We Need
Mesabi Daily News
Opinion: Rep. Jason Metsa
Fortunately, we have an opportunity before us to forge a new, thriving economy on the Range — one that offers diverse, stable jobs that can’t be exported.
The untapped precious metals in our region — much like the natural resources my family benefitted from generations ago — will allow us to renew our position as a natural resource provider for the entire nation.
A new generation of mining is the spark we need to revitalize our regional economy right now and in the future. These companies require educated workers. They hire ecologists, environmentalists, geologists, chemists, and a slew of other professionals, and welders, electricians, millrights truck drivers and laborers to operate the new generation of stable and technological mining in Northeastern Minnesota.
Polymet Mine Environmental Review’s Comment Period Not Extended
Pioneer Press
Doug Belden
The comment period on an environmental review of what would be Minnesota’s first copper-nickel mine will not be extended past March 13, the state Department of Natural Resources said Thursday.
The DNR, along with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and Forest Service, received requests to extend the comment period but concluded the 90 days allotted was sufficient, according to a letter from the three agencies. More than 19,000 comments have been submitted so far, officials said.
Minnesota Power’s CEO Al Hodnik
Mesabi Daily News
Bill Hanna
Hodnik was effusive in his support for the PolyMet venture, that is currently in the supplemental draft environmental impact statement public comment phase.
“We are lucky to be a mineral-rich area. Minnesotans should be proud of our copper/nickel/precious metals deposits,” he said.
Hodnik also said he “doesn’t doubt for a minute” that the project will be successfully completed and producing jobs and paychecks for workers. “This is about our way of life. So, let’s get it done,” he said.
Read more: http://www.virginiamn.com/news/local/article_45ab373c-9ddc-11e3-9716-001a4bcf887a.html
Enough is Enough; Time to Mine
Mesabi Daily News
Opinion: Jim Hofsommer
Here’s a question to ponder: After going on 10 years and $80 million later, why doesn’t the PolyMet project we’ve been hearing so much about even have a permit yet? If things don’t speed up pretty soon, a whole generation of workers could have — and should have — been employed by this project will all be dead of old age.
Perhaps some of the warm, fuzzy responses given as testimony by a gaggle of Enrads (environmental radicals) at the recent hearings are an indication for these endless delays. This testimony — for, or against — was supposed to be a factual analysis of the latest Environmental Impact Statement was sufficient, but some of the comments bordered on the incredulous to downright comical.
For all these years we have heard repeated so many times the hundreds of good-paying jobs, the millions of hours of construction work and the lode of ore so abundant that it may be the largest deposit in the world, that many of us can repeat these statistics in our sleep. For many Rangers, this is a once in a lifetime opportunity to provide a decent life and employment for hundreds of families, to keep our kids in the area, and to lower the unemployment rate of the Range — which has chronically been significantly higher than the rest of the state.
Read more: http://www.virginiamn.com/opinion/letters/article_597cf5cc-9c40-11e3-838f-0019bb2963f4.html
High Paying Mining Jobs Anchor the NE MN Labor Market
Hometown Focus
Jan Saxhaug
It’s no secret that mining is a critical industry to the economy of Northeastern Minnesota which is home to the Iron Range after all. Sitting atop vast deposits of iron ore and precious metals and strategically located near the Port of Duluth, the region has been able to develop the highly specialized infrastructure and workforce needed to take advantage of these rich natural resources.
Read more: http://www.hometownfocus.us/news/2014-02-21/Mining_Features/MINING_FOR_GROWTH.html
Almanac: 02/14/2014
A Political Panel
Republicans Andy Brehm and Fritz Knaak sat on our couch alongside Democrats Javier Morillo-Alicea and Sarah Walker.
Jobs for Minnesotans Statement on St. Paul Financial Assurance Hearing
St. Paul, Minn. (Feb. 10, 2014) – On Tuesday, Feb. 11 in St. Paul, Minn., Jobs for Minnesotans, a business-labor partnership, will attend the Natural Resources and Agriculture Finance Committee hearing about financial assurance for proposed copper-nickel mining projects in Minnesota. Members of Jobs for Minnesotans will be joined by allies who support the strong financial assurance laws already in place in Minnesota and the process that will adequately address financial assurance during permitting.
Minnesota has the opportunity to prosper from the world-class deposit of precious metals in northeastern Minnesota and generate economic benefits for decades. The more than 55,000 union members and the 2,500 businesses that are part of Jobs for Minnesotans trust the process in place during the permitting phase of project development to ensure maintenance costs for the project after closure are funded appropriately.
“We have the strongest financial assurance laws in the country. These laws were developed in collaboration with environmental organizations and will ensure taxpayers have bankruptcy-proof protection. Taxpayers will not only be protected, but will see significant financial gains from PolyMet and other proposed copper-nickel mining projects,” said Harry Melander, Jobs for Minnesotans co-founder and president of the Minnesota Building and Construction Trades Council.
“We’re confident that the multiple state and federal agencies currently managing the review of PolyMet’s SDEIS will regulate and protect Minnesota’s treasured natural environment and trust the DNR and our existing laws to address financial assurance as the project moves into permitting,” said David Olson, Jobs for Minnesotans co-founder and president of the Minnesota Chamber of Commerce.
“We stand to gain hundreds of jobs from PolyMet in addition to two million construction hours before any ore is produced. Our members see this project as an economic opportunity that will sustain families long into the future. These laws are already on the books, so let’s keep this project moving and strengthen the economy,” added Melander.
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Jobs for Minnesotans was co-founded in October 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. This coalition represents businesses, middle class workers, labor, local governments and other supporters of job creation in the state of Minnesota. Jobs for Minnesotans was created to educate and provide information about the direct and ancillary job creation that the strategic metals mining can produce for the state.
Media Contacts:
Harry Melander
612-865-3585
harstpbt@mtn.org
Nancy Norr
218.590.6978
nnorr@mnpower.com