Ely Echo

Private sector investment in non-ferrous leases and mineral exploration is up significantly in recent years. While exploration is active, non-ferrous metallic mining has not been permitted in Minnesota to date. The mineral royalty revenue potential to the school trust from non-ferrous sources is significant.

The DNR’s Division of Lands and Minerals currently estimates that three non-ferrous metallic mineral deposits identified as potential mines could generate $2.4 billion in added revenue to the Permanent School Fund over the life of the mines.

Pioneer Press
Opinion: Val Vargas

I applaud the Minnesota Chamber of Commerce and the Minnesota Building and Construction Trades Council for coming together to promote economic growth and job creation in Minnesota (“Metals mining in Minnesota means a hundred years of jobs and revenue,” Nov. 16).

Together, they formed a coalition aptly titled Jobs for Minnesotans. When business and labor are able to partner on an issue, such as strategic metals mining, it’s one Minnesotans should pay attention to and support.

Mineweb
Lawrence Williams

In what must be a welcome development for prospective miners, PolyMet and Duluth Metals, Minnesota’s Chamber of Commerce and local mining unions will be mounting a combined campaign to try to ensure that mining of what has to be one of the world’s most significant mineral deposits, is given the go-ahead by state and federal bodies.  According to a report in the Duluth News Tribune, The Minnesota Chamber of Commerce, the state’s largest business group, and the Minnesota Building and Construction Trades Council have formed “Jobs for Minnesotans” to promote development of the state’s first-ever massive base and precious metals mining operations on the Duluth Metallurgical Complex which hosts one of the world’s largest potential polymetallic orebodies and which could see large scale mining for the next century, with its associated employment and tax benefits for the state and federal economies.

The Duluth Complex hosts an enormous resource of relatively low grade polymetallic mineralisation, which in combination represents perhaps the world’s largest ever discovery of an orebody containing copper, nickel, cobalt, pgms and gold – and Polymet and the Duluth Metals 60:40 jv with Antofagasta – the Twin Metals project – are the two most advanced projects on the Complex at the moment.  However the area where these enormous deposits is hosted lies in an environmentally sensitive locality between the Boundary Waters recreational area and brownfields mining and processing sites left over from the still significant Minnesota taconite iron ore mines and process plants.

Duluth News Tribune
John Myers

Two groups often on opposing sides of heated issues have joined hands to promote Minnesota’s fledgling copper mining industry and other big construction projects.

The Minnesota Chamber of Commerce, the state’s largest business group, and the Minnesota Building and Construction Trades Council have formed “Jobs for Minnesotans” to promote development of the state’s first-ever copper mining operations.

Hibbing Daily Tribune
Guest Commentary: Lory Fedo & John Grahek

As we’ve all seen in the recently concluded election, “jobs” was the primary subject driving conversations, and votes throughout Minnesota.

Even as they fought tooth and nail for votes, Democrats and Republicans agree on one thing — we need more Jobs.

We have good news: hundreds, even thousands of permanent new jobs can become reality for generations of Minnesotans. That’s why business and labor are founding partners of a unique alliance to work to support and assist major projects that will create jobs.