News

Mesabi Daily News
December 5, 2009

As commissioners of the department of Employment and Economic development (DEED) and Iron Range Resources (IRR), we are writing to offer our institutional and personal support for the NorthMet Project being proposed by PolyMet Mining Corporation.

PolyMet seeks to develop Minnesota's first open-pit copper-nickel and precious metals mine, using portions of the former LTV Steel Mining Company taconite facilities located near the Iron Range cities of Aurora, Hoyt Lakes and Babbitt. The company plans to employ environmentally-smart mining and processing techniques to harvest and beneficiate these important resources at a site where such work already has taken place for half a century. Their NorthMet project represents a $600 million investment in our state that intends to create 300 construction jobs, 400 permanent mining jobs, 650 permanent "spin-off" jobs, $15 million annually in state and local revenue and $45 million in federal revenue. These outcomes are critical to our nation, our state and the Iron Range area, especially as we climb out of the deepest economic downturn our country has seen in many years.

DEED and IRR are economic development organizations that work with businesses and communities to retain and create quality jobs for Minnesotans. Less than a decade ago, we were dealing with the aftermath of the LTV bankruptcy and the ensuing closure of LTV's taconite plant at the PolyMet site, which put 1,400 people out of work. A state agency team worked with Cleveland-Cliffs and Minnesota Power to bring these valuable mining assets out of bankruptcy, with the hope that this infrastructure, equipment, buildings and land might one day be put back to work producing value-added products such as those contemplated by PolyMet. The North Met Project will restore much-needed economic prosperity to many individuals, families and communities of the Iron Range. Copper and nickel are crucial commodities that support housing, infrastructure and industry. Platinum, palladium, gold and other precious metals are used in computers, cell phones and catalytic converters, devices that not only drive our economy but protect our environment. Today's world needs and demands these materials. As Americans, we should mine and process such materials here in an environmentally sustainable way, rather than let such activity ensue elsewhere on the globe where it may not be so carefully undertaken.

It is within this context that we support this project, sincerely believing that it can be undertaken in an environmentally responsible manner, recycling valuable industrial assets to extract strategic minerals our modern society requires, and in so doing creating wealth and quality jobs upon which we build sustainable communities. We thank you for allowing us to submit these comments on the PolyMet/NorthMet draft Environmental Impact Statement. DEED and IRR are very supportive of this project. Please feel free to contact us if you have any questions about our comments.

Sincerely,

Dan McElroy, Commissioner, Department of Employment and Economic development

Sandy Layman, Commissioner, Iron Range Resources