St. Paul, MN— Rep. Spencer Igo, R-Wabana Township, and a group of 36 House Republicans representing all four corners of the state sent a letter today urging the Biden Administration and the U.S. Forest Service to reject an environment assessment that recommends a 20-year, region-wide mining ban on minerals, including taconite, copper, nickel, cobalt, and platinum-group elements in the Superior National Forest. A copy of the letter can be found here.
“If this recommendation is enacted, it will result in Northeast Minnesota losing thousands of potential jobs, billions of dollars in future investment, and millions of dollars for schools that would have been generated through mining on School Trust Lands like the Twin Metals project,” said Rep. Igo. “The critical minerals needed to build the economy of tomorrow are right here, under our feet. President Biden and his administration need to stop putting the interests of hostile foreign nations ahead of our communities on the Iron Range and let us do what we do best.”
The letter sent today is a formal submission as part of the public comment period that opened following the release of the draft environment assessment in late June.
Igo continued, “Minnesota has some of the best environmental and labor standards in the world and we know how to mine safely. Joe Biden and the radical environmentalists that dominate the Democrat party of today need to step aside and stop holding us back. Let our communities and the men and women of labor on the Range reach their full, God-given potential.”
Igo encourages others to submit public comment on the draft assessment through the Forest Service’s website. The public comment period is open until August 12th.
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