Mining point person to be discussed today in governor’s call
Dayton responding to concerns on regulation delays
By BILL HANNA
Executive Editor - Mesabi Daily News (09/14/11)
VIRGINIA — Gov. Mark Dayton and three of his commissioners will hold a conference call today to move ahead on creating a point person to help accelerate mining projects toward development.
“We talked about this three or four months ago, but with the legislative session and government shutdown it has not progressed as it should have,” the governor said in an interview following a regional economic development summit that attracted about 200 people at Mesabi Range Community and Technical College’s Virginia campus on Tuesday.
The governor said in the post-forum interview that at other regional forums in Winona, Fergus Falls and Brainerd concerns were also raised about permitting and regulation delays in general.
The call will include Iron Range Resources & Rehabilitation Board
Commissioner Tony Sertich, DNR Commissioner Tom Landwehr and Pollution Control Agency Commissioner Paul Aasen.
Frank Ongaro, executive director of MiningMinnesota, spoke of the need for more emphasis in state government put on the mining industry.
“Governor, thank you for your support of mining and miningrelated
initiatives. But more needs to be done. It’s time to elevate it to
the next level,” Ongaro said, speaking directly to Dayton.
Ongaro, whose group represents nonferrous copper/nickel/precious
metals mining, said it’s time to take everywhere “the neon sign that reads Minnesota is open to mining.” He said that would send the right message to investors across the country.
“But we have delay after delay after delay. Something’s just not
right,” Ongaro said. There are several nonferrous mining ventures on the drawing board for the East Range, with PolyMet, slated for
the former LTV Mining Co. site near Hoyt Lakes, the farthest along. That project, which would create 360 permanent jobs,
hundreds more spin-off positions and more than 1.5 million hours of construction work, is currently in a supplemental draft
Environmental Impact Statement phase. That document was expected
to be completed earlier this summer.
Dayton said after the forum that he would be checking to see what was the status of the PolyMet supplemental draft EIS. The DNR, U.S. Forest Service and U.S. Army Corps of Engineers are co-lead agencies in the draft EIS review.
