Mesabi Daily News, Hibbing Daily Tribune, Grand Rapids Herald-Review and the Chisholm Tribune Press
Bill Hanna
Jon Cherry took little time pondering the question and his response.
After all, he’s heard the same query repeatedly the last few years. And his answers have varied only when significant project updates were inserted from time to time.
“Obviously we wish it would be going faster,” Cherry said in a recent telephone interview from company Twin Cities offices, regarding final permitting work for the PolyMet copper/nickel/precious metals venture near Hoyt Lakes and Babbitt.
“But the process is being followed, and it will be very good — the best — when done,” he added.
[…]
Or, put another way: If such slow and stringent approval would have been needed to extract minerals to build the country, horses would have been regularly shoed and wagon wheels fixed well beyond their commercial life expediency.
The project holds great job and financial promise for the Iron Range — especially the east end, which has been economically devastated ever since LTV Mining shut down in 2001.