News

Mesabi Daily News
June 19, 2010

The Upper Peninsula of Michigan received some great news last week - news that has been long awaited for far too long on the Iron Range.

The Kennecott Eagle copper/nickel mine has received final environmental approval to go ahead with production. That has triggered Rio Tinto - an international mining group - to invest $469 million in construction of a new underground mine and rehabilitation of an old mill.

All of that means a lot of jobs for Michigan's UP. A lot of paychecks to be cashed in communities in that area. More children in the schools. And more families shopping with local merchants.

Good for that area that has a mining kinship to the Iron Range. And good for the people of the area who will now have more opportunities to stay and live where they desire in a beautiful area of northern Michigan.

Meanwhile, the PolyMet copper/nickel/precious metals operation within the footprint of the former LTV Mining Co. plant has yet to get the go-ahead, despite about five years of environmental review at a cost of more than $20 million. That project alone would create about 400 new good-paying jobs; hundreds more in spin-off positions; and 1 million hours of construction work. And there are other nonferrous projects also being developed.

It's absolutely ridiculous that Michigan is moving forward, while Minnesota is doing the bureaucratic/environmental two-step.

We would hope this would be an embarrassment to the office of Minnesota Gov. Tim Pawlenty. While the governor has been running for president for the past year or so, he has not had time to be a strong advocate for the PolyMet and other nonferrous mining ventures on the Iron Range.

Governors can make a big difference in such ventures. Gov. Pawlenty has chosen not to do so in this case and that's pretty sad.