RELEASE: Legislators respond to anti-Polymet letter

ST. PAUL, MN—A regionally diverse, bipartisan coalition of 70 lawmakers led by Senate Majority Leader Paul Gazelka, R-Nisswa, and House Minority Leader Kurt Daudt, R-Crown, sent a letter this week to Governor Tim Walz in response to the anti-Polymet letter sent last month by a group of 18 almost exclusively Metro-area Democrats. The letter responds in detail to the frivolous concerns raised by the anti-Polymet legislators, and urges the governor to "reject veiled effortsto stop these projects for ideological reasons."



“For more than a decade, PolyMet has consistently met rigorous standards from state and federal regulators and the environmental groups,” said Gazelka. “Their work means Minnesota will lead the world into the future with our natural resources. This letter demonstrates PolyMet has the support of Republicans and Democrats, the House and the Senate, and most importantly, has support from the Iron Range districts that will directly benefit from good paying jobs in their communities. We are sending a strong message to the Iron Range that we are standing with them.”



"PolyMet is the most scrutinized industrial project in Minnesota history, and we are confident that when the dust settles and all court challenges are decided, the facts outlined in the letter will prevail and the permits will be upheld," Daudt added. "It's disappointing that anti-mining legislators are spreading misinformation in a last-ditch effort to stop a project that will bring tremendous economic growth and job opportunities to the Iron Range. I'm grateful that we were able to bring together a broad coalition of legislators from all parts of the state and both parties to send a clear message that the governor should reject efforts by anti-mining legislators to stop this project in its tracks."

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