State of Minnesota Releases PolyMet’s Draft Permit to Mine
Duluth News Tribune
John Myers
The release of the draft permit to mine signals the state is generally satisfied with how PolyMet plans to build, mine and then close the operations without harming the environment — especially without releasing potentially acidic mine waste into the St. Louis River ecosystem.
It’s the biggest step yet for the proposed mine that’s been decades on the drawing board. But the project still must secure final permits, clear lawsuits and pass a possible contested case hearing process as well as find financing to actually pay for construction.
“This is a big step. It’s a big milestone,” said Tom Landwehr, DNR commissioner. “But we are nowhere near done… there are still so many steps that need to be required.”
Landwehr said regulators and the company have followed state laws governing mining to a T.
“At this point… all the requirements have been met,” Landwehr said.
Supporters and critics of the copper mine now have 60 days to submit public comments, with public hearings set for Feb. 7 in Hoyt Lakes and Feb. 8 in Duluth.
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Supporters say the estimated $650-plus million project — that will mine 32,000 tons of rock daily and employ about 300 people — will help diversify a regional economy that has been tied the cyclical iron mining industry for a century. The project will require an estimated 2 million construction hours.
St. Paul, Minn. (Jan. 5, 2018) – Jobs for Minnesotans today released the following statement in response to the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources release of the draft Permit to Mine for PolyMet’s NorthMet Project.
“Today’s release of the draft Permit to Mine is a historic achievement for the NorthMet Project and the state. It builds on our rich iron mining heritage and is a catalyst for a new era of responsible mining. Copper-nickel mining offers substantial private investment and long-term economic returns that will sustain families and communities and benefit our entire state. More broadly, the project will provide the crucial minerals we require as a part of our daily lives.
The rigorous reviews of the NorthMet Project design instill confidence that PolyMet has the right technology, the right environmental and financial protections, and the right leadership to chart a responsible path forward for copper-nickel mining in Minnesota. We believe PolyMet will meet all conditions outlined in the draft Permit to Mine.”
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
“Next Tuesday, Jan. 9, 2018, the Minnesota Public Utilities Commission (MPUC) will review the decision of an Administrative Law Judge (ALJ) to once again delay the Line 3 pipeline replacement permitting process. This delay is entirely unnecessary, but unfortunately unsurprising. In the last 7 years, legally established timelines for permitting projects in Minnesota have been routinely ignored by the MPUC, state agencies, and others that appear to have bowed to a small but vocal group of activists instead of following the law.
Just last month, the MPUC delayed a decision on the adequacy of the Final Environmental Impact Statement (FEIS), ignoring the recommendation from Judge Eric Lipman that the FEIS should be deemed adequate, as well as testimony of state agency experts and MPUC staff who advised them the information necessary to make an informed decision was in the report. The ALJ has now added another delay, pausing other aspects of the regulatory process until the FEIS is deemed adequate. We encourage the MPUC to order the ALJ to proceed with the rest of the regulatory process while the FEIS process continues simultaneously. That approach would be consistent with the MPUC’s previous orders.
Doing otherwise will mean months of delay, and yet another construction season missed. Delays have real world consequences. Construction workers go without paychecks, local city and county governments go without tax revenue, local businesses that would profit during construction don’t get those profits. In addition, businesses around the nation looking to invest in projects that require permits from the MPUC continue to question whether or not they can get a fair chance to move their projects forward in Minnesota. All of this is bad for our state.
We implore the MPUC to bring common sense back to their proceedings, reverse the ALJ move, and get the process for permitting Line 3 back on track for a conclusion in April of this year.”
International Union of Operating Engineers Local 49
Jobs for Minnesotans
Minnesota Building and Construction Trades Council
Minnesota Chamber of Commerce
Minnesota Pipe Trades Association
North Central States Regional Council of Carpenters
Feds Reverse Course, Keep Minnesota Copper Mine Plan Alive
Minnesota Public Radio
Dan Kraker
Last December, the Obama administration refused to renew mineral leases crucial to Twin Metals Minnesota’s efforts to build a huge underground copper-nickel mine near Ely and the Boundary Waters, all but killing the plan.
On Friday, however, the Trump administration reversed that decision, paving the way for Twin Metals to get its leases back and resurrecting the effort to build the controversial mine.
An opinion published Friday by a top attorney at the U.S. Interior Department concludes the federal Bureau of Land Management erred last year when it concluded that BLM had the power to grant or deny the Twin Metals lease renewals. The reversal means the BLM and the U.S. Forest Service must reconsider Twin Metals’ 2012 lease renewal application.
Read More: https://www.mprnews.org/story/2017/12/22/twin-metals-mn-copper-mine-alive-fed
St. Paul, Minn. (Dec. 22, 2017) – Jobs for Minnesotans today released the following statement in response to the Administrative Law Judge decision to hold further advancement of the Line 3 Replacement Project by adjusting the project’s briefing schedule.
“On the heels of good news today for the responsible mining industry related to the renewal of Twin Metals Minnesota’s federal mineral leases, Jobs for Minnesotans is deeply dismayed by a big step backward that could cause costly delays in the process for reviewing the Line 3 Pipeline Replacement Project.
“An Administrative Law Judge’s decision to halt progress for what may be months on the review of the Line 3 Replacement Project’s certificate of need and route permit will once again deprive Minnesotans of economic opportunity. Thousands of Minnesotans made their views very clear that this project is necessary and important for our state. They strongly object to the judge’s disregard for fair and efficient process. It’s very disappointing to see yet another in an endless string of delays imposed on a project that will create jobs, protect the environment and provide access to the fuel that drives our economy and society.”
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
Cell: 218.590.6978