News

Duluth News Tribune
January 26, 2010

The Dec. 30 letter, "PolyMet using state's waters as testing ground," included two specifics that need clarification because the writer inaccurately represented facts.

First, the waters of Northeastern Minnesota will not be used as a testing ground for PolyMet's unproven methods. On the contrary. PolyMet's proposed mining and processing of nonferrous minerals has been tested and reviewed for several years by both the company and regulatory agencies. Like any project in any industry, in order to receive permits, PolyMet needs to demonstrate it will meet or exceed Minnesota's stringent environmental air- and water-quality standards. I encourage everyone to read the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources' recently published environmental impact study on PolyMet.

Second, with regards to taxes, the PolyMet project is cost-effective and will not use any taxpayer dollars. The charge that Minnesota residents will have to pay for nonferrous mining is just plain false. Minnesota has very specific reclamation policies and financial assurance requirements in place for nonferrous mining that assign all costs to the companies, protecting taxpayers from any reclamation costs.

The true fact is that the PolyMet project will greatly benefit Northeastern Minnesota and our entire state economically by adding jobs and an influx of financial support throughout the region.

Overall, the accusation that the PolyMet project is bad for the environment is unwarranted and unsupported. The facts are clear: The project is safe, sensitive to the environment, and will provide great-paying and enduring jobs for hundreds of Minnesota families.

BILL WHITESIDE

HIBBING