REGIONAL- The Iron Range Resources and Rehabilitation Advisory Board met on Tuesday to review a number of projects significant to the North County, including multi-million-dollar projects authorized in the 2024 legislative session, as well as authorize rebates to the mining companies who pay taconite production taxes to fund the agencies’ programs.
Sen. Grant Hauschild, DFL-Hermantown, a member of the advisory board, noted the significance of the Legislature’s approval of a bonding measure to finance projects and initiatives across the Iron Range.
“Knowing that we lacked the votes necessary from the Republican Senate and House caucuses to help pass a statewide bonding bill this year, which requires a super-majority vote, I wanted to ensure our region didn’t come home empty-handed,” Hauschild said. “That’s why I fought to get our Iron Range bonding bill included in the tax bill, and now we are poised to make millions of dollars of improvements to the nuts-and-bolts infrastructure that make our communities strong. Securing funding for critical infrastructure needs in our communities is one of my most important responsibilities, and I’m proud to say that we delivered on that.”
The board heard presentations on 14 projects totaling about $39,230,000 in funding, including the following projects impacting the North Country:
• $3 million to the city of Tower for water management infrastructure projects.
• $1 million for construction costs at Northland Learning Center in Virginia, which provides special education services to nine cooperating districts including Ely, Nett Lake, and St. Louis County.
• $5.2 million for the design, engineering and construction related to improvements to The Legend golf course and related to a new waterline/infrastructure for the irrigation system at The Legend golf course at Giants Ridge Recreation Area.
Ely water project
The advisory board also approved a $500,000 public works grant for the city of Ely to go toward a $5.1 million water infrastructure project. The project consists of city-wide street infrastructure upgrades, including utility replacement, drainage improvements, water line intake replacement, bituminous pavement and curb and gutter installation in a residential neighborhood. The city’s water pump house, intake structure and intake line were constructed over 90 years ago. The intake line runs approximately 25,000 feet from Burntside Lake to the municipal water plant located in the northwest corner of Ely. Replacement of the infrastructure is necessary to ensure reliable water supply to the city.
Broadband
Paul Bunyan Communications received $400,000 to put toward its $6 million project to expand high-speed broadband services to 420 households in Field, Alango and Sturgeon townships. The project is supported by a $3.9 million award from the state’s Border to Border grant program, $1.2 million from Paul Bunyan, $400,000 from St. Louis County, and $99,000 from the three townships.
Biwabik flood damage
During the June flood, the city of Biwabik experienced a ruptured water line and a natural gas line was exposed. To provide ongoing protection to these services, the advisory board approved a grant of $6.18 million for the Embarrass Diversion Channel for ongoing repairs to the area. The funds will provide for long-term design, mitigation, restoration, land maintenance and construction, as well as slope stabilization, protection of the surface flow zone, and rip rap. The project has already received $1.5 million from the Minnesota Capital Asset Preservation and Replacement Account, with an application for additional emergency funding from FEMA pending.
Education grant
The Itasca and Eveleth campuses of Minnesota North College will be getting significant assistance with three occupational training programs that will benefit area students through a $982,719 Academic Program Revitalization and Growth Strategies grant.
The engineering program at the Itasca campus will be revamped to utilize an innovative high-quality engineering education model that is intended to be financially self-sustaining and retain more talent within the region.
Students in the Itasca campus Associate Degree Registered Nursing Program will be trained in a new high-quality nursing simulation laboratory that will help to align the program with educational experiences in Grand Rapids, Hibbing, and International Falls. Northeastern Minnesota ranks second in the state in demand for registered nurses.
The welding program at the Eveleth campus will get upgraded safety features and lab space featuring advanced technologies, and will also receive mobile trailers to provide on-site training across the region.
Taconite tax rebates
The advisory board approved $8.78 million in rebates for six mining companies for improvement projects with a total cost of $19.488 million. All projects require some level of matching funds from the recipients. Companies receiving rebates and their intended uses include:
• Hibbing Taconite Mining Company, $1.6 million for buttressing of a tailings storage facility.
• Minorca Mine, $698,171 for a tailings basin decant structure to separate water associated with fine tailings to be reclaimed for plant use, and including a new down line booster pumping station.
• Northshore Mining Company, $845,852 to fund the replacement of the facility’s antiquated limestone mill, replacing the filter and softener for a steam boiler system, and modernizing the west pellet plant elevator.
• U.S. Steel – Keetac, $1.291 million to install new equipment to improve the quality of the existing concentrator, including a high-intensity grinding mill.
• U.S. Steel – Minntac, $3.165 million to replace crusher dust collectors to meet new silica air quality requirements, and to convert two concentrating lines with new cyclone clusters, sumps, pumps and piping for material processing and handling.
• United Taconite Mining Company, $1.182 million for upgrades to crusher feeds and screens and tailing pipelines.