Twin Metals’ leases renewed

Twin Metals Minnesota has scored another key victory in its quest to develop a copper-nickel mine near Ely.

Earlier this week, the federal government renewed mineral leases that were taken away by the Obama Administration in late-2016 and reinstated less than two years later by the Trump Administration.

The decision was a major milestone for a project in the works for more than a decade, and could lead to the submission of a formal mine plan later this year.

"This lease renewal is a critical step to allow us to present a proposal for our underground mine project," said Kelly Osborne, chief executive officer for Twin Metals. "It's very good news for us and for the communities in northeastern Minnesota who look forward to the hundreds of jobs and major economic development this mine will bring."

The renewal was signed and announced by Joe Balash, the U.S. Department of Interior's Assistant Secretary for Land and Mineral Management.

He was joined by newly-elected U.S. Rep. Pete Stauber (R), a staunch proponent of a mining project that, as envisioned, would bring several hundred new jobs to the Ely area.

"In northern Minnesota, mining is our past, our present, and our future," said Stauber. "With 21st century technology, we can responsibly develop the resources needed for the modern world and unleash the economic engine of northeastern Minnesota."

The renewed leases come with new conditions including higher annual royalty payments and benchmarks the company must meet during the 10-year term, as well as stipulations covering the occupancy and use of national forest land. The government also requires protections for forest and water resources.

The leases, which have been held for more than 50 years, cover land about nine miles south, where Twin Metals is exploring for copper, nickel and platinum group metals.

It includes the area where Twin Metals plans an underground mine.

The leases had typically been renewed in routine fashion, but the process was halted in an 11th-hour move by the Obama Administration, which rejected the renewal and called for a process that could lead to a mining ban on national forest land in northeastern Minnesota.

That decision, hailed by opponents of the project who say the Twin Metals mine would be too close to the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness, was met with a lawsuit filed by Twin Metals.

The Trump Administration subsequently reversed course and led to the renewal process, which included a 30-day public comment period.

Stauber, in a statement released Wednesday, was critical of the efforts to block the Twin Metals project and voiced his support for the renewal.

"Unfortunately, misinformed policies of the past have not only prevented the responsible development of our resources but have even prohibited companies like Twin Metals from even submitting a proposed mining plan," said Stauber. "I applaud Secretary Bernhardt and the Trump Administration for putting politics aside and rightfully giving our miners the opportunity to meet or exceed all environmental standards."

Also in attendance Wednesday was U.S. Rep. Tom Emmer, a Minnesota Republican who has persistently lobbied for the Twin Metals project and came to Ely two years ago to tour the project area with other Congressional representatives, including former U.S. Rep. Rick Nolan (D).

"Following the Interior's announcement today, I am pleased that the Trump Administration acknowledges that we can responsibly develop our state's resources - bringing jobs back to this region - without destroying the forests, lakes and streams that all Minnesotans hold dear," said Emmer. "Our state and local economies deserve to prosper, and we can ensure that, while also protecting Minnesota's beauty for future generations. When it comes to protecting the environment and developing our economic assets, nobody does it better than Minnesota."

Twin Metals officials say they will, within months, submit its mine proposal to state and federal agencies, "launching an extensive and rigorous environmental and scientific review by regulatory agencies, a process which requires significant input from the public."

The company is already working with agencies including the Bureau of Land Management, U.S. Forest Service, Minnesota Department of Natural Resources, and other government regulatory agencies to facilitate this process.

Owned by Chilean mining conglomerate Antofagasta, Twin Metals has already invested more than $450 million into the project.

Company officials say they are "committed to developing these resources in an environmentally safe and sustainable manner. TMM will meet and, where possible, exceed all state and federal environmental standards, provide hundreds of jobs for generations of Minnesotans, and generate billions of dollars of environmentally-responsible economic growth in the region."