St. Paul, Minn. (May 9, 2018) – Jobs for Minnesotans issued the following statement about today’s deadline for filing formal responses to the April 23, 2018, Administrative Law Judge (ALJ) report on the Line 3 Replacement Project.
“We fully recognize that an important part of the regulatory process is to review the Administrative Law Judge’s recommendation and bring to light issues we find with it. We’re pleased that our member organizations are engaged in this process and continue to share their support for the certificate of need and preferred route.
“The preferred route strikes the right balance for Minnesota. Unfortunately, the ALJ’s recommendation for in-trench replacement along the current route ignores the testimony of many Minnesota voices, including evidence about worker safety and environmental protection. Heavy equipment activity on the existing Line 3 right of way introduces construction risks that would not exist on Enbridge’s preferred route, a route that offers greater protection to workers and communities.
“The ALJ’s recommendation would also require shutting down Line 3 for 16 months while it’s replaced. Shutting down this pipeline for that length of time would cause unnecessary harm to Minnesota’s economy with rising gas prices and lost jobs.
“Ultimately, the judge’s recommendation ignores the overwhelming evidence for the preferred route for the project and delays living wage jobs in Northern Minnesota. We urge the Minnesota Public Utilities Commission to make a common sense decision to approve the certificate of need and route permit for the preferred route, based on the strong evidence supplied during the regulatory process.”
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, Jobs for Minnesotans Board Chair
nnorr@mnpower.com
218.590.6978
BusinessNorth
Ron Brochu
The federal government has reinstated two long-time mineral leases that it now admits were incorrectly denied in 2016 due to a legal error.
Twin Metals Minnesota began the process to renew two of its existing exploration leases in 2012. They previously had been renewed in 1989 and 2004. On Dec. 15, 2016, the U.S. Forest Service indicated it would not consent to a third renewal. The move, which came in the final days of the Obama administration, was felt by some to be a political move to prevent non-ferrous mining in Northeastern Minnesota.
St. Paul, Minn. (May 2, 2018) – Jobs for Minnesotans today released the following statement reacting to the U.S. Bureau of Land Management action reinstating Twin Metals Minnesota’s federal mineral leases.
“This official action solidifies the December 22, 2017, U.S. Department of Interior opinion regarding Twin Metals’ leases. Formally reinstating the federal mineral leases is yet another positive step toward the renewal of these leases and brings hope for restoring future mineral exploration by other companies interested in investing in the state. This action is welcomed by our members and supporters of fair process and economic development and job creation across the state. We are thankful for Twin Metals’ significant economic contributions to date in Northern Minnesota. And, we look forward to Twin Metals continuing to be allowed to follow established processes, including the renewal of their federal leases and environmental review for the to-be-proposed 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, Jobs for Minnesotans Board Chair
nnorr@mnpower.com
218.590.6978
Duluth News Tribune
Laura Kircher
Our economy is diverse. Between mining, tourism, transportation, aviation, commercial, technology, retail, and hospitality, it takes a little bit of everything to keep the Northland running. The diversity is what makes us great. New businesses are finding success here because of our people and natural resources. We live in an amazing place, and business owners in all industries are committed to keeping it that way.
Our region is strongest when we understand and respect one another. It’s strongest when we find compromise, as state Sen. Erik Simonson of Duluth called for in his opinion piece in the News Tribune last month (Lawmaker’s View: “Let science, law, process dictate PolyMet permitting,” March 28). Our different industries complement one another. When one of us succeeds, we all succeed.
St. Paul, Minn. (April 23, 2018) – Jobs for Minnesotans today supports the Administrative Law Judge (ALJ) recommendation to the Minnesota Public Utilities Commission to approve the certificate of need for the Line 3 Replacement Project. At the same time, Jobs for Minnesotans disagrees with the ALJ’s condition applied to this recommendation to replace Line 3 in the same trench and instead strongly believes the Minnesota Public Utilities Commission should approve the certificate of need and route permit on Enbridge’s preferred route.
“We’re pleased that the Administrative Law Judge recommendation acknowledges the need for replacing aging infrastructure in our state,” said Harry Melander, president of the Minnesota Building and Construction Trades Council, a co-founding organization of Jobs for Minnesotans. “This recommendation is a step in the right direction toward putting our homegrown talent to work with quality jobs that support their families and create opportunities for the next generation. We do disagree, however, with the ALJ’s decision to recommend the pipeline be replaced along its existing route – this is not in the best interest of Minnesotans.”
The Line 3 Replacement Project will create 6,500 Minnesota jobs and represents a staggering total economic impact in the state of more than $2 billion and annual property tax revenue of $19.5 million each year according to a University of Minnesota Duluth study.
“Safe energy transportation projects like this one are essential to ensuring Minnesota’s economy remains competitive with the rest of the world,” said Doug Loon, president of the Minnesota Chamber of Commerce, a co-founding organization of Jobs for Minnesotans. “We’re thankful to the thousands of Minnesotans who took the time to provide input in shaping this project, and we look forward to a positive decision on the certificate of need and preferred route from the Public Utilities Commission as quickly as possible.”
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, Jobs for Minnesotans Board Chair
nnorr@mnpower.com
Cell: 218.590.6978