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ELY – Officials with Twin Metals Minnesota and the Iron Range Building and Construction Trades Council gathered here this week to sign a formal project labor agreement for the construction phase of …
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ELY – Officials with Twin Metals Minnesota and the Iron Range Building and Construction Trades Council gathered here this week to sign a formal project labor agreement for the construction phase of the planned underground mine, if and when the project completes its environmental review, obtains needed permits, and proves financially viable.
The company expects to release a formal mine proposal to state and federal agencies later this year, which would initiate a multi-year environmental and public review process.
The company estimates that project construction, if approved, would produce several million labor hours and will be similar in scope to the construction of U.S. Bank Stadium in Minneapolis, according to TMM Public Relations Manager Kathy Graul.
Twin Metals Minnesota CEO Kelly Osborne and Mike Syversrud from the Iron Range Building and Construction Trades Council formally signed the agreement during a brief ceremony Wednesday at the Ely office of Twin Metals.
“We are proud to partner with Minnesota’s union trades, crafts people and laborers, just as we did when we built our core storage facility in 2013,” said Osborne. “As we prepare to file our mine plan of operations, it’s important that we further solidify our partnership with labor and ensure that the construction phase of our project will be completed by professionals whose specialized skills are essential to the premier quality work we insist on.”
Mike Syversrud, of the Iron Range Building and Construction Trades Council, expressed his excitement as well. “We are thrilled to celebrate this milestone, which will ensure union workers and their families can continue to live and thrive on the Iron Range as the Twin Metals underground mine project comes to life.”
Public relations offensive
The signing of the labor agreement comes in the wake of the company’s announcement that it would employ dry stack tailings disposal should the mine proceed, a process that is seen as posing less risk of catastrophic dam collapse.
The recent announcements appear designed to build community support for the company’s proposed copper-nickel mine southeast of Ely — which has sharply divided Ely residents.
The project’s future remains in question, as mineral leases critical to the project are under legal challenge from a coalition of Minnesota businesses and the Wilderness Society. The Obama administration had cancelled the mineral leases just before leaving office, contending the mine posed unacceptable risks to the adjacent Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness, but the leases were quickly reinstated by the Trump administration and that decision is now being challenged.
The company’s plan also faces a national campaign of opposition from a coalition of environmental and outdoor recreation organizations concerned about the location of the proposed mine. Twin Metals proposes to build the mine along the South Kawishiwi River, a major watershed that flows into the heart of the 1.1 million-acre BWCAW.
While critics expressed concern, Eighth District Congressman Pete Stauber lauded Wednesday’s announcement. “Today, mining and labor come together to define our future,” he said during remarks in Ely. “This Project Labor Agreement for Twin Metals will allow Minnesota’s future workforce to safely mine the copper, nickel, cobalt, and platinum group elements that power our modern world.”