MinnPost
Christie Ransom, Brad Gruhot
March 22, 2022
https://www.minnpost.com/community-voices/2022/03/federal-decision-to-pull-mining-permits-sets-dangerous-precedent-for-all-minnesota-businesses/?fbclid=IwAR1Drx7H4AAwd9v2-R3MfY3K8qrK-30OL-19gqHHp6alkY-J9rLaeI5ftHs

As presidents of our local Chambers of Commerce, our job is to help the businesses in our communities thrive and succeed. Sometimes that service means standing watch against actions that could do them harm. When we heard about the federal government unfairly canceling mining permits in Northeastern Minnesota, we recognized these actions as a dangerous precedent for business anywhere.

Just over two years ago, Twin Metals Minnesota submitted a mine plan of operations to state and federal agencies, starting a multi-year scoping and environmental review process intended to evaluate their project and determine if it met local, state and federal regulatory and environmental requirements. It should be implied in “multi-year,” but this process is supposed to be rigorous, public and thorough.

Instead, the Biden administration in January, and the Walz administration just last month have decided to halt analysis of this company’s application by way of a blanket ban on new mining permits on 230,000 acres of Minnesota for up to 20 years, and by pulling two different leases that the company has held in good standing for more than 50 years and through 11 presidential administrations.

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