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Mr. Novak goes to Washington

Ely mayor joins Range delegation in support of Twin Metals project

Keith Vandervort
Posted 4/20/16

ELY – Ely Mayor Chuck Novak is in Washington, D.C., this week to go to bat for Twin Metals of Minnesota and their proposed copper-nickel mining project.

Novak told the Community Economic Joint …

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Mr. Novak goes to Washington

Ely mayor joins Range delegation in support of Twin Metals project

Posted

ELY – Ely Mayor Chuck Novak is in Washington, D.C., this week to go to bat for Twin Metals of Minnesota and their proposed copper-nickel mining project.

Novak told the Community Economic Joint Powers Board last week that he was joining a local delegation to “press elbows” with the federal Bureau of Land Management.

The BLM is determining whether or not to renew federal mining leases for the Twin Metals proposal that could risk polluting the federal Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness.

He is joined by: Babbitt Mayor Andrea Zupancich, Hoyt Lakes Mayor Mark Skelton, Aurora city council member David Lislegard, Range Association of Municipalities and Schools executive director Steve Giorgi, and Minnesota Power director of regional development Nancy Norr.

“We want to have a good discussion with them and see exactly where they are at,” Novak said.

He also confirmed scheduling a meeting with Minnesota Sen. Amy Klobuchar on Thursday. “We also are trying to make some contacts with the U.S. Forest Service while we are out there,” he said.

Novak complained that the various federal bureaucracies “do not coordinate” meetings together. “It begs the question: Are they really trying?” he asked.

“After Gov. Dayton’s letter, we are trying to figure out what to do,” Novak said.

Last month, Gov Dayton directed the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources to not grant access to state land for the test drilling and development of the controversial copper-nickel mine next to the BWCA.

In a letter to Twin Metals, one of two firms exploring copper deposits in the region, Dayton said he has an obligation to protect “the extraordinary natural legacy” of the BWCA.

That letter was the first time Dayton publicly stated that he opposes mining in the BWCA watershed. The letter quickly followed state approval of a 10-year environmental review for the proposed PolyMet Mining Corp. project. PolyMet’s project lies in a watershed that drains southeast into Lake Superior, while the Twin Metals watershed drains north toward the BWCA.

Dayton’s blunt statement outraged Iron Range legislators who have been pushing him to allow sulfide-mining projects to move forward.

“As you know, the BWCAW is a crown jewel in Minnesota and a national treasure,” Dayton wrote in the letter to Twin Metals, a subsidiary of Chilean mining conglomerate Antofagasta. “I am unwilling to take risks with that Minnesota environmental icon.”

Environmental groups applauded Dayton’s concerns over the risks sulfide mining that has the potential to cause more severe pollution than taconite mining and processing operations. The ore can create an acid that leaches heavy metals and other pollutants from rock, a major risk in an area known for its many lakes, rivers and wetlands.

Dayton also said he had made his views clear to the director of the U.S. Bureau of Land Management, which oversees the federal land nearby.

Novak said the Iron Range delegation meeting with BLM was set up though Rep. Rick Nolan, who has been a supporter of sulfide mining projects in northeastern Minnesota. “I have to give the Congressman credit for setting up the meeting,” he said. “It’s a rare chance when you get to go to Washington.”

Novak also noted that he had not heard from Sen. Al Franken. “But, that’s the way it is,” he said.

Morse Township supervisor Bob Berrini noted that Sen. Franken has not attended the Joint Power legislative day for the past three years. “We might as well forget about that guy,” Berrini said.

Mayor Novak provided a few more impressions of the meeting held on April Fool’s Day with Gov. Dayton and the Ely City Council where the governor defended his decision to halt the development of the Twin Metals project.

“It is obvious that the governor has no clue of this area, what it is and what it represents,” he said. “I have to say that from his mouth I heard the same words I’ve heard from the local anti-mining faction. I’m not going to say that he got bought off or whatever. What is really disappointing is that he blasted Antofagasta really bad. This state enticed and encouraged this development and all of a sudden (he) came out and said ‘no.’ This is going to change the character of Ely. We’re a mining town. You can’t get rid of that.”

Novak said he got a response from Gov. Dayton following the meeting. “He agreed to meet with me, one-on-one, down in St. Paul, possibly during the Minnesota Mayors Association meeting later this month,” Novak said.

Up North Jobs

Up North Jobs, Inc., an Ely non-profit advocacy group that promotes job growth in northeastern Minnesota and is committed “to counter the radical environmental organizations opposing proposed copper/nickle (sic) mining operations in Northeastern Minnesota,” filed Freedom of Information Act requests earlier this month demanding correspondence and other documentation related to Gov. Dayton’s directive prohibiting Twin Metals’ access to state lands.

According to the group’s website, Gerald Tyler, chairman and chief executive officer of the group, demanded access to records and correspondence between the governor and several individuals, including his ex-wife and Ely-area environmental activists.

The letter, dated April 5, 2016, requests Gov. Dayton to release copies of emails, records of meetings and transcripts of telephone communications made or provided during 2014, 2015 and up to April 5 between Dayton and several individuals Included on that list are:Susan Schurke, Paul Schurke, Bria Schurke, Rebecca “Becky” Rom and Steve Piragis, all of Ely, Alida Rockefeller Messinger (Dayton’s ex-wife), and Lt. Governor Tina Smith.

Tyler also is seeking records of correspondence between Dayton and groups including Friends of the Boundary Waters, Northeastern Minnesotans for Wilderness, Sustainable Ely and the Minnesota Center for Environmental Advocacy.

Tyler also requested the release of similar correspondence involving the lieutenant governor.

Tyler also added, “If there are any fees for searching or copying the aforementioned records, please inform me if the cost will exceed $1,000. However, I would also like to request a waiver of all fees in that the disclosure of the requested information is in the public interest and will contribute significantly to the public understanding of Gov. Dayton’s directive issued to the DNR. This information is not being sought for commercial purposes.”

Tyler said Tuesday that he had not received any response from Gov. Dayton’s office.