Mesabi Daily News
Charles Ramsay

One of the main backers of a state group supporting more mining jobs in Northeastern Minnesota sees passage of H.R. 761 in the U.S. House as vital to the area’s economy.

“This is getting us one step further in creating job opportunities,” Jobs for Minnesotans co-founder Harry Melander said in a phone interview Thursday. He is president of the Minnesota Building and Construction Trades Council.

The group had mounted a campaign urging supporters of mining to call their elected officials to vote for the measure, the National Strategic and Critical Minerals Production Act of 2013, which would revise and streamline permitting for mining activities.

“We’re very appreciative of those who helped,” Melander said.

Read more: http://www.virginiamn.com/news/local/article_93fc2e1a-232e-11e3-8c9f-001a4bcf887a.html

Duluth News Tribune
John Myers

U.S. Rep. Rick Nolan joined with other mining supporters Wednesday when the U.S. House passed legislation to streamline environmental permitting for mining projects on federal lands.

The bill, HF 761, called the National Strategic and Critical Minerals Production Act of 2013, passed the Republican-controlled House by a 246-178 vote.

The bill declares most new mining projects as strategic for the nation, speeds up the federal agency review process and restricts efforts to file lawsuits to stop such projects. The bill essentially sets a 30-month limit for environmental review and a 60-day limit for any challenges.

Read more: http://www.duluthnewstribune.com/event/article/id/278321/group/Business/

“We are confident that Minnesota’s new mines will be built in an environmentally responsible manner and more importantly, offering an unprecedented opportunity for Minnesota to build the green economy of the future,” said Harry Melander, president of the Minnesota Building and Construction Trades Council and co-founder of Jobs for Minnesotans.

“Why are we so confident? These projects will be reviewed by more than six federal and state agencies, including the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources. They will literally be the “greenest” mines in the world because they will use 21^st century technology and re-use Minnesota’s existing mining infrastructure,” Melander continued.

“Metals like copper and nickel are necessary to create a green economy that includes wind, solar and other alternative energies. By getting these metals right here in Minnesota, we can build the state’s and country’s role in the new, sustainable economy of the future, provide thousands of permanent jobs, and put billions in new tax revenues into Minnesota’s public schools.”

“These projects will boost the economy in the Iron Range region and have a significant impact statewide, investing hundreds of millions of dollars in our economy and providing a boon to Minnesota businesses and their employees,” added David Olson, president of the Minnesota Chamber of Commerce.

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Jobs for Minnesotans was co-founded in October 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. This coalition represents businesses, middle class workers, labor, local governments and other supporters of job creation in the state of Minnesota. Jobs for Minnesotans was created to educate and provide information about the direct and ancillary job creation that the strategic metals mining can produce for the state.

Media Contact:
Harry Melander
612-865-3585
harstpbt@mtn.org

Mesabi Daily News
Bill Hanna

U.S. Rep. Rick Nolan will support a bill that would streamline the permitting process for mining of mineral resources such as copper/nickel/precious metals deposits on the eastern Iron Range.

The 8th District Democrat has received more than 200 calls on the issue, he said in a telephone interview on Tuesday. “It’ been fairly even.”

But the congressman cautioned that a victory for the bill in the House, which has a Republican majority, most likely will not translate into approval in the Senate, which is controlled by Democrats.

“They have not included the House Democrats in writing this bill. And they haven’t reached out to the Senate or White House,” Nolan said.

Read more: http://www.virginiamn.com/news/local/article_624a05ea-2013-11e3-ab84-001a4bcf887a.html

Mesabi Daily News
Bill Hanna

A kickoff event for MINE II was attended by about 100 people at Zimmy’s in Hibbing Thursday. MINE II will be the second of quarterly publications on the importance — past, present and into the future — of mining to the Iron Range.

MINE II will be published in the four papers on Wednesday, Oct. 30.

The word MINE, in bold, strong letters, was chosen for this ongoing project because the impact of mining in all of our lives and communities on the Iron Range is so huge. Mining is by far the major economic driver of the region.

Read more: http://www.virginiamn.com/news/local/article_0715c9f8-1c25-11e3-9396-001a4bcf887a.html