News

Mesabi Daily News
December 9, 2009

The bandwagon of full support for the PolyMet copper/nickel/precious metals project picked up several more backers on Wednesday, including U.S. Sen. Al Franken, D-Minn.

Others writing letters of support to the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources for the mining project proposed at the site of the former LTV Mining Co. operation near Hoyt Lakes include the Minnesota Chamber of Commerce, the board of the Minnesota AFL-CIO and the Minnesota Building & Construction Trades Council.

A receptionist at the Steelworkers office in Eveleth on Wednesday said Bob Bratulich, director District 11 of the United Steelworkers of America, would not be back in the office until Monday and could not be reached by e-mail or cell phone. A call to another Steelworkers official for comment on the issue was not returned. 

A public hearing on the draft Environmental Impact Statement at the Mesabi East School in Aurora on Wednesday drew an estimated 800 people. Another hearing will be held today from 5 p.m. to 10 p.m. at the Schwan Center of the National Sports Center in the northern Minneapolis suburb of Blaine. Buses for supporters of the project will leave today from Hoyt Lakes, Aurora, Hibbing and Duluth.

The project would produce an estimated 400 permanent jobs, hundreds more spin-off jobs and 1.5 million hours of construction work.

A Sunday Mesabi Daily News story pointed out resolutions of support for the project from local city councils and school boards and letters to the DNR with full backing of the venture from Range legislators, Iron Range Resources Board Commissioner Sandy Layman, Department and Economic Development Commissioner Dan McElroy and U.S. Rep. Jim Oberstar, D-Minn. A spokesperson for U.S. Sen. Amy Klobuchar, D-Minn., had a one-word answer to a question of whether the senator's support for the project was without conditions: "Yes." However, a spokesperson for Sen. Franken said while he supported the process, full backing of the project would await the draft EIS review.

However, a letter from Sen. Franken to the DNR, dated Dec. 9, praised PolyMet officials' environmental review and carried strong support for the project, pointing out "the annual payroll of $40 million," and in St. Louis County alone, "an economic impact of $242 million."

Here are other parts of Sen. Franken's letter:

"I am writing to express my support for the proposed PolyMet Mining Co. project in the Mesabi Iron Range. Minnesota needs jobs, and nowhere is that more true than on the Iron Range."

"Minnesota has strict environmental standards, and I have the utmost confidence in the environmental review process."

"Throughout this multi-year process, PolyMet has done their due diligence and has faithfully followed the law. This includes providing all the necessary information for the draft environmental impact statement (EIS). The resulting draft describes the many steps PolyMet will take to minimize environmental impacts. I am excited to see this process move ahead, and I look forward to creating more jobs on the Iron Range."

The Minnesota AFL-CIO was strong in its backing of the project.

"Now, after consultation with elected officials representing the Iron Range, after learning that PolyMet has already invested more than $20 million in researching and outlining a safe and environmentally responsible mining operation, we urge the DNR to approve the draft EIS and allow the project to move forward.

"It's time for the DNR to approve the draft EIS and allow the project to proceed," a statement from the union read in part.

The Minnesota Chamber of Commerce is also strongly behind the project.

"This project is an excellent example of an extraordinary economic development opportunity designed with the uppermost in environmental protection.

"It's most responsible if we process these materials under our state's tough environmental standards. At the same time, we will shrink the carbon footprint by eliminating the need to transport imported metals from overseas mines to U.S. processors," said David Olson, state chamber president.

The state's Building Trades Council also gives the project its support.

"The Minnesota Building Trades Council is proud to support PolyMet Mining Company's proposal," said its president, Harry Melander. "This project will be built thanks to the expertise and hard work of more than 300 skilled trades people and will create hundreds of good-paying jobs.

"While these construction jobs are important to us, we could not in good conscience support this project if we believed it would harm our environment. PolyMet has demonstrated that it can mine and process these minerals, create hundreds of jobs and maintain our environment."