Northland’s NewsCenter offers an update to yesterday’s revelation that former BP head Tony Hayward is now working for Glencore, the company behind the PolyMet project here on the Range:

UPDATE: I must add, as I mentioned yesterday, that PolyMet has said that Hayward will not be involved in its Range project. That’s true, but I consider this worth discussing anyway. The issue at the core of the debate is the long-term, legacy commitment by the company’s corporate family to taking responsibility IF any unforeseen disasters take place in the future. No one expects or wants a disaster, but I believe it’s fair to ask questions about Hayward’s record at BP in this larger context.

If a company would be willing to make a binding long term, post-mining commitment to future environmental responsibility I think the permits would be forthcoming, a crucial step to the financing and mining plans of PolyMet and other companies on the Range.