Dear Representatives Fabian and Heintzeman:
As chairman and executive director of Up North Jobs, I write in support of House File bill 888. Up North Jobs Inc. is a four-year-old Ely based, 501 (c)(3) nonprofit organization. Its mission: To promote economic development and job growth in northeastern Minnesota. The dues and contributions we receive from our members and supporters are used to promote economic development and job growth in the mining, manufacturing, and construction and timber industries. The Omnibus Environment and Natural Resources bill, HF 888, focuses on issues that we have long supported and promoted.
The proposed copper-nickel PolyMet NorthMet mining project is an unfortunate example of the regulatory process run amok. For Polymet to be seeking permits to mine after a decade of preparing studies and making expenditures of more than $80 million to prepare the required draft Environmental Impact Statement is unprecedented.
The proposed copper-nickel Twin Metals Minnesota mining operation hardly offers a better example. On March 6, 2016 Gov. Mark Dayton directed the Minnesota DNR “not to authorize or enter into any new state access agreements or lease agreements for mining operations on state lands.” Soon thereafter, we wrote to Dayton, expressing our concerns as citizen taxpayers of northeastern Minnesota, that “Your actions will not only make it more difficult for the project to proceed, but will have a chilling effect on any mining companies to consider investing in Minnesota.” We were not surprised that the governor’s administration did not respond to our letter.
Up North Jobs has robustly supported federal and state legislation that would expedite the permitting of large Minnesota based projects, and yet, not compromise on standards nor eliminate the public comment and review process. Legislation that provides regulatory certainty and reduces duplicative regulatory oversight regarding the development of mining, pipeline and construction projects throughout the state is long overdue.
Gerald M. Tyler
Chairman, Up North Jobs
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