News - Jobs For Minnesotans

It’s Common Sense — Mining Is Good for All

March 1, 2014

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.

New Generation of Mining Is Spark We Need

February 28, 2014

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

February 27, 2014

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

February 24, 2014

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.

Enough is Enough; Time to Mine

February 22, 2014

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.