ST. PAUL, MN – State Representative Roger Skraba, R-Ely, sent a letter to committee members of the House Energy and Mineral Resources Subcommittee in Washington urging support for two items before the committee today. Congressman Pete Stauber is chairman of the subcommittee, and they are scheduled to consider a House Concurrent Resolution that would undo the Biden Administration’s unilateral decision to cancel two federal mineral leases and legislation to rescind a public land order that effectively blocks mining operations across 225,504 acres of land in Northeast Minnesota for the next 20 years.
“If the subcommittee fails to take action on these two important items, it means that the communities I represent in the legislature will lose out on billions in private investments, thousands of good-paying union jobs, and billions in tax revenues that support our schools,” said Skraba. “The Iron Range has been safely mining for more than 130 years—it is part of our past, part of our present, and needs to be a part of our future. The copper, nickel, cobalt, and many other precious metals needed to produce modern technologies are right beneath our feet. With some of the strongest environmental standards anywhere and the best workforce in the world, there is no reason why we can’t produce these materials right here in Minnesota safely and effectively.”
A copy of the letter can be found here.
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