A resolution brought forward by east end County Commissioner Frank Moe regarding copper nickel mining in Northeastern Minnesota brought 10 citizens to the public comment portion of the county board meeting on Tuesday, April 12. After listening to citizen concerns, Commissioner Moe’s colleagues declined to second his motion to add the resolution to the next meeting’s agenda, effectively killing the resolution, at least for the time being.
Asking the board to adopt the resolution were Dave Seaton, Staci Drouillard, Bob Bazzett, Rena Rogers and Marco Good.
Asking the county to stay out of the fray were Dan Anderson, Jim Boyd, Howard Hedstrom, Dennis Rysdahl and Bruce Kerfoot.
Two mining projects, the proposed Polymet copper nickel mine and the Twin Metals-Minnesota mine have drawn both huge support and huge protest across Minnesota. Last month Minnesota Governor Mark Dayton announced he was opposed to any mining that would be conducted close to the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness (BWCAW). Twin Metals is hoping to mine copper and nickel deposits that are bound in rock that also contains sulfide. When that rock is exposed to air and water, it creates sulfuric acid which many are concerned could drain into the water table and kill fish and wildlife.
At the heart of Moe’s resolution he stated, “… The EPA calls metal mining, which includes sulfide-ore copper mining the most toxic industry in America and a peer-reviewed and published hydrology study documents that pollution from a proposed sulfide-ore copper mine called Twin Metals, located near the Boundary Waters, would flow directly into the Boundary Waters…”
His resolution went on to call for protection of the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness (BWCAW) and Voyageurs National Park, two of America’s great natural treasures, and asked Governor Mark Dayton to extend that protection to the Lake Superior watershed, which supports and sustains Cook County’s economy and way of life.
The resolution concluded, “Furthermore, be it resolved that: We support permanent protection of the Boundary Waters Wilderness and Voyageurs National Park from sulfide ore mining by withdrawing all federal lands in their watershed from the federal mineral leasing laws: and be it finally resolved: The Cook County board reaffirms its support for Minnesota’s taconite mining industry along with its possible expansion including the eventual addition of Minnesota’s first ever steel mill.”
“I respectfully ask you to consider Commissioner Moe’s proposed resolution on mining and place it on the action agenda for the next board meeting,” said David Seaton, co-owner of Hungry Jack Outfitters. “This will allow for informed debate on a subject which is critical to the future of northern Minnesota and Cook County in particular.”
In his comments to the board, Jim Boyd, executive director of the Cook County Chamber of Commerce, said he didn’t think the resolution would have any impact on the outcome of the proposed mine, and instead the effect could, “cause divisiveness and pull us apart as a community.” Boyd suggested instead there were other ways to protest the mine than through a resolution by the board.
Bluefin Bay Resort owner Dennis Rysdahl said he got an email from Senator Tom Bakk and in it Bakk warned that many people in the taconite district don’t feel Cook County should be in the district and this resolution would add fuel to that fire. He also reminded people that Bakk had given the county great representation in the legislature, and we as a county need to keep that relationship intact.
Commissioner Garry Gamble reminded the roomful of people about the importance of mining in Northeast Minnesota.
“Cook County, with no mines, no plants, no mineral exploration, annually receives $528,000 in taconite revenues. Mountain Iron School District in a community that produces over 40 percent of the taconite tonnage receives $453,000….$75,000 less than Cook County!
“In addition, nine years ago our school received the largest grant ever given for a school. Taconite revenues paid 80 percent of the bond for the school expansion.
“In fiscal years 2015 and 2016 Cook County received grants from the Iron Range Resources and Rehabilitation Board (IRRRB) for the Cook County Airport runway extension – $200,000; Cook County North Shore Hospital Expansion – $100,000 and $100,000 for the Public Works Facility project.”
Gamble also cited a litany of other economic facts about mining, among them was that 14,000 indirect and induced jobs (including temporary, part-time or short term) were created by mining in Minnesota this last year,
And, he said, during 2011, Minnesota’s iron mines paid $151.9 million in production tax, occupation tax, sales and use tax, various ad valorem and property taxes, and royalties and rentals on state minerals. Minnesota’s iron mining industry also paid $64.1 million towards Minnesota’s education, through a percentage of production taxes, royalties and rents, and occupation taxes.
Gamble said, “I see mining as a legacy that will continue to support our economic lifeblood.”
At the end of the board meeting, Moe read a statement before reading his motion, “I believe clean water is fundamentally important to us, that we have a moral obligation to protect our children and I do not believe these things should be put up for sale.”
Board Chair Heidi Doo- Kirk said that just because the resolution didn’t pass the conversation was far from over. She said Senator Tom Bakk and Representative Rob Ecklund would be coming before the board sometime in May to talk to the board about their relationship to Cook County.
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