News

Mesabi Daily News
December 5, 2009

I'm putting out a call to action to all members of the Lunchbox Brigade. You're membership in the Brigade is not based on whether you bring a lunchbox to your work but rather whether you support bringing lunchbox jobs to the Range.

Specifically here, we are talking: 400 full-time jobs with a payroll of $40 million; 500 spin-off jobs with a $242 million economic impact; and 1.5 million construction hours over two years for a $600 million project. This project is the PolyMet Mining Company's plan to mine and process copper, nickel, platinum, palladium, gold and cobalt at the former LTV Steel Mining Company plant near Hoyt Lakes.

The call to action requests the Brigade attend the public information/comment hearing on the draft Environmental Impact Statement (DEIS) for PolyMet to be held 7 p.m. Wednesday at Mesabi East School Memorial Gymnasium in Aurora. This is no small request given our ever increasingly busy lives. Yet, the stakes are worthy of the one evening sacrifice.

As mentioned, at stake are considerable jobs for the Northland. Just as important as jobs is what follows: A more robust tax base assuring stability and vitality of our rural school systems as well as assuring a stable revenue source for essential services provided by our local government units, whether roads and bridges, law enforcement, fire, etc. Also, an increased tax base means the onerous burden of property taxes is likely spread out - thus lessening the pain.

Sadly, the Lunchbox Brigade will face off against an extremely well organized and well financed band of special interest environmental groups, many with their major support bases out of the Twin Cities (perhaps the impetus for a second Metro hearing) in the name of environmentalism have the ultimate goal, no less, than that of killing the PolyMet project. They will counter that they are reasonable minds merely putting forth legitimate concerns. In reality, using a perhaps imperfect analogy, they will not be satisfied until it known how many angels can dance on the head of a pin.

First, all in the Northland are environmentalists. We not only work here. We live and play here. For groups heavily based out of the Twin Cities to imply that we would trash our environment in exchange for jobs is an insult. Further, many of those supporting this project, such as myself, did so only after we were confident reasonable assurances had been provided that the project would not degrade the environment or jeopardize human health. My confidence came after meetings with PolyMet staff and a tour of the future facility as well as reading the DEIS, jointly produced by the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources and U.S. Army Corps of Engineer after over five years into the process.

Lunchbox Brigade, join me on Wednesday when we send the message (perhaps all the way down to the Twin Cities) that protection of the environment and economic development need not be exclusive when rational, reasonable minds come together.

Christopher A. Dahlberg

St. Louis Commissioner

Duluth