SAINT PAUL, Minn. – Rep. Dave Lislegard (DFL – Aurora) issued the following statement on the U.S. Department of the Interior’s action to enact a 20-year moratorium on mining in 225,504 acres of land in northern Minnesota:
“Today in the Minnesota House, I’m about to vote on a bill to bring us toward 100% renewable energy by 2040. Meanwhile, as a country, we’re exporting our jobs and our conscience overseas to third-world countries that don’t have the same environmental or labor standards we have here in the United States. This decision reeks of hypocrisy.
“I believe climate change is real, and the only way to achieve our goals for a carbon-free future is to mine our way out of this problem in the most environmentally responsible way possible. Projects deserve to be judged on their ability to meet strict environmental standards, not be subject to political headwinds.”