There’s a lot going on today that could impact many of the precious mineral mining and value-added iron mining projects currently in development on the Iron Range.
First, this morning lawmakers are meeting with representatives of India-based Essar Global, the company that bought the Minnesota Steel project which aims to build a taconite mine and low-grade steel factory near Nashwauk. Essar officials are also meeting with local officials and others associated with the project today. Even if these meetings yield no “new” news, most Iron Rangers in the known hope these talks yield some specific timetables and direction from the company as to how the first Iron Range steel mill will become a reality.
Then this afternoon there is is a multi-committee legislative hearing in St. Paul about the environmental risks of several of the proposed mining projects on the East Range. Local representatives are pretty upset that these hearings are being held at all and I expect some theatrics. This Minnesota Public Radio story gives you a pretty good idea of the situation. I don’t think these hearings will stop any of the projects, but the testimony will raise many points that will come up during the state and federal permitting process. In that regard it’s not terrible to deal with them up front. The largest determiner of whether these projects go will be whether or not the companies involved can make money mining minerals. The same has been true through all of mining history. Oh, how little it seems we have learned.
Personally, I like how most mining news still comes out on Fridays. It’s like their holy day or something.
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