News

Politics in Minnesota
December 9, 2009

Interest groups are applying pressure on the state Department of Natural Resources (DNR) as the agency takes public comment on an environmental study of a proposed open-pit copper mine on the Iron Range.

The DNR is conducting public hearings tonight near Hoyt Lakes and tomorrow night in Blaine on a proposal by PolyMet Mining Corp.  to create a nonferrous mine near Babbitt.

Environmentalists and labor unions are among the groups that are taking opposing stances to the project. As was reported in the Nov. 30 edition of Capitol Report, the copper mining issue is also heading for a showdown at the state Capitol.

Two labor unions today called for the DNR to approve a draft environmental impact statement (EIS) for the project.

The Minnesota AFL-CIO and the Minnesota State Building Trades Council both said they want the PolyMet Mine project to move forward.

Although AFL-CIO President Shar Knutson noted the project is controversial, she said the mine would give the U.S. a domestic source of materials, rather than relying on imports from countries “with weaker labor and environmental standards.”

“PolyMet’s proposal to begin mining copper, nickel and other precious metals offers important new opportunities for creating long-term family supporting jobs in this hard hit region of our state,” Knutson said.

At the Capitol, Rep. Alice Hausman, DFL-St. Paul, and Sen. Jim Carlson, DFL-Eagan, have introduced bills that would require nonferrous mining companies to provide certain financial assurances that cover environmental clean-up costs if the project goes bad. Opponents, including DFL Iron Range legislators, have opposed the bill, which they contend will kill nonferrous mining projects.

In supporting the PolyMet project, Harry Melander, president of the trades council, said today he’s satisfied with the company’s environmental safeguards.

“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,” Melander said. “PolyMet has demonstrated that it can mine and process these minerals, create hundreds of jobs and maintain our environment.”

But environmental groups say that the project still raises questions.

Chuck Laszewski, communications director of the Minnesota Center for Environmental Advocacy, said his group isn’t opposed to mining, but has concerns about the project because taxpayers in other states have had to foot the bill for multi-million dollar environmental clean-ups.

“We have a lot of concerns because no matter where this kind of mining has been done throughout the country, it has every time resulted in pollution of water with sulfuric acid,” Laszewski said.

The public comment period ends Feb. 3. Due to the length and complexity of the EIS, Laszewski said MCEA on Tuesday asked the state to extend the public comment period by at least 30 days.