Stauber Pens Letters to Vilsack and Haaland Requesting that They Reject Attempts to Politicize Minnesota’s Proud Mining Tradition
WASHINGTON, D.C. – This week, Congressman Pete Stauber (MN-08) sent letters to the Secretaries of the Departments of Agriculture and Interior requesting that they reject attempts to politicize potential mining projects in northeast Minnesota and keep the longstanding Bureau of Land Management leases in the Superior National Forest intact as the fair and science-based permitting process plays out.
Stauber's letters follow Senator Tina Smith's recent attempt to politicize the issue of mining by urging Vilsack and Haaland to reinstate a mining moratorium in the Superior National Forest.
His letters were also sent the same week as Congresswoman Betty McCollum (MN-04) reintroduced job-killing legislation that would enact this moratorium on mining.
Of his letters, Congressman Stauber stated, "In northeast Minnesota, we are proud of our rich mining heritage. For 135 years, generations of miners have safely produced the iron ore that helped create a stronger nation, all while preserving our environment. Now we have a chance to expand on this mining tradition with the responsible development of the critical minerals located in the Duluth Complex. That's why I am so disappointed that our state's junior Senator and Representative McCollum out of the Twin Cities are so determined to kill good mining jobs and keep us reliant on foreign adversaries.
Stauber followed, stating, "Their viewpoints on this matter are tone deaf and not shared by the majority of the constituents that both Senator Smith and I represent. We need critical minerals for modern life, renewable energy, and national security. I rather see Minnesota's miners responsibly extract the critical minerals necessary for a strong domestic supply chain instead of continuing to rely on foreign countries with horrific labor and environmental standards."
Stauber concluded, stating, "Therefore, I urge both Secretaries Vilsack and Haaland to reject attempts to insert politics in this matter, trust our regulators to follow the science, and fulfill President Biden's Executive Order to strengthen our domestic supply chains."
Read Stauber's letter to Vilsack, HERE.
Read his letter to Haaland, HERE.
Background:
In the twilight of his Administration, President Obama took several actions to harm the mining industry, and subsequently, Minnesota's local economies.
Specifically, on January 5, 2017, the Obama Administration's U.S. Forest Service (USFS) proposed a 234,328-acre federal mineral withdrawal in the Superior National Forest for a 20-year term, immediately placing this vast, mineral rich area off-limits.
In December 2018, the Trump Administration reversed President Obama's political mineral withdrawal.
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