IRON RANGE MAYORS’ VIEW

Wednesday May 13, 2020

Iron Range Mayors’ View: Mining can exist with tourism — and always has

Duluth News Tribune
Mayors Chuck Novak and Andrea Zupancich

As mayors on the Iron Range, we’re all too familiar with criticisms of the mining industry, even though mining has sustained our communities for decades. Mining is dismissed and brushed off by some who advise us to move on — as if we can simply swap one way of life for another and easily replace the thousands of family-sustaining jobs we’ve lost since the industry’s prime up here.

We’re on the verge of an opportunity to safely pursue a mining project to unearth the minerals — copper, nickel, cobalt, and platinum group metals — necessary to fuel a green economy. And it can help fuel our local economy, too, bringing a level of investment to our communities no one else is likely to make during these trying times.

To view the full-text version of this article, visit https://www.duluthnewstribune.com/opinion/columns/6488265-Iron-Range-Mayors-View-Mining-can-exist-with-tourism-%E2%80%94-and-always-has