St. Paul, Minn. (Jan. 13, 2020) – Jobs for Minnesotans today released the following statement addressing the Minnesota Court of Appeals decisions regarding the dam safety permit and permit to mine for the PolyMet NorthMet Project:
“We are deeply disappointed by today’s decision from the Minnesota Court of Appeals, which creates uncertainties for the PolyMet NorthMet project and consequently hundreds of jobs for northeast Minnesota. While litigation is now an expected part of the regulatory review process and this ruling is a setback, we are confident that PolyMet will bring a safe and responsible copper-nickel mining industry to our state while also protecting the environment.
“We encourage PolyMet to pursue all avenues to move this project forward and will stand strong with our members and allies – leaders in businesses, labor organizations and communities across the state – who believe this project is right for Minnesota. We ask supporters to remain resilient and to work collectively to advocate for responsible industries.
“Minnesotans need to be mindful of the ethical dimensions of sourcing critical copper, nickel and platinum group metals that power our standard of living and the green economy. The state of Minnesota has one of the most thorough environmental review processes in the country, if not the world. Mining for these minerals here with these extremely high labor and environmental standards will ensure they are mined safely and responsibly, as opposed to importing from a country with standards of which we have no control.
“We continue to look forward to the approximately 360 family-supporting jobs this project will bring to northeastern Minnesota communities and we are encouraged by the new positions that PolyMet has already filled in our region. This project will generate an estimated $515 million annually to energize a more diverse regional and statewide 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
218.590.6978
Twin Metals Submits Formal Plans for Mine Near the Boundary Waters
Minnesota Public Radio
Dan Kraker
The documents, submitted to the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources and the U.S. Bureau of Land Management, lay out in detail how Twin Metals plans to mine copper, nickel and precious metals deep beneath the Superior National Forest.
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The official project submission triggers the start of the environmental review process, in which state and federal regulators will analyze in detail how the company proposes to mine and how it plans to mitigate its environmental impacts.
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Twin Metals chief regulatory officer Julie Padilla estimates that environmental review and permitting could take five to seven years. The environmental review creates the source documents for the permitting process — the final stage in which state and federal officials decide whether to grant the permits the mine would need to open.
The following statement is in support of Twin Metals Minnesota’s entering the regulatory process for permits to mine copper, nickel and platinum group metals in northeast Minnesota. It has been signed by a statewide group of more than 60 business, labor and community organizations and local government leaders. These signers represent employers of hundreds of thousands of Minnesotans, over 80,000 members of the state’s leading building trade unions and the unified voice of the Iron Range, including 18 mayors of Iron Range cities.
Click here to view and download the full statement and logos from brands which have signed on.
Our View: Review Processes Prove Effective Again
Duluth News Tribune
Editorial Board
It’s reassuring when we see such processes proving effective — just as intended. That’s particularly true in this instance. Replacing an aging Line 3 oil pipeline across northern Minnesota will protect the environment, help to preserve our nation’s energy independence, and generate hundreds of millions of dollars of economic impact for all the Northland.
St. Paul, Minn. (Dec. 9, 2019) – Jobs for Minnesotans released the following statement regarding the Minnesota Department of Commerce report to the Minnesota Public Utilities Commission on spill modeling for Enbridge’s Line 3 Replacement Project:
“We welcome the release of the Minnesota Department of Commerce revisions to the proposed Enbridge Line 3 Replacement Project Environmental Impact Statement. This analysis was a ‘worst-case scenario’ requirement by the appeals court to be added to an otherwise acceptable environmental impact statement, and confirms that in the unlikely case of a breach the Line 3 replacement segment does not introduce risk to Lake Superior. This finding should finally pave the way for approving the Line 3 Replacement Project.
“This project is the most thoroughly reviewed project in Minnesota history, and the PUC has consistently agreed it deserves to move forward. We look forward to seeing this project, and the jobs and benefits it will bring to our communities, come to life for the betterment of our 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
218.590.6978