The right mine at the right time

Over the past week the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources finally issued all of the permits necessary for the construction and operation of the PolyMet copper, nickel, and platinum group mining operation in Hoyt Lakes. Minnesota now positions itself as a future leading supplier for the domestic and global need for metals we use to build our businesses, our homes, our cars, and our most beloved electronic devices.

At current market prices, the value of these metals tops $100,000,000,000. That's $100 billion. Let's break this astronomical number down in real terms. The state of Minnesota can expect to see $3.7 billion in its annual economic output, which will produce several hundred direct mining jobs and almost 7,000 indirect jobs with total wages of $650 million. The tax revenue alone during the life of the mine will come close to $200 million. Our schools and our infrastructure stand to reap massive benefits from these tax dollars.

For those who do not work in the mining industry, these jobs should not get confused with the average paltry wages we currently see. These mining jobs will pay between $71,000 and $83,000 per year and come with a variety of quality healthcare and retirement benefits, not to mention the fact that these PolyMet workers will predominantly fall within the sphere of "organized labor."

The people of the Iron Range and Northeast Minnesota should rejoice at the sound of these statistics. For more than 14 years, a misinformation environmental campaign nearly cost us a jackpot, and I certainly expect countless lawsuits to plague the start of the project, which should begin in earnest next spring. False narratives were telling us that we had to choose between the environment and our economy. Truthfully and sincerely, the state of Minnesota can and will protect the environment while reaping the benefits of a mining operation vital to national security and the future independence of the United States.

Politically speaking, once construction and mining operations begin, the hard workers in the private sector labor and building trades will remember that the Republican Party lent its unwavering support to the betterment of their future. For far too long, the Democratic-Farmer-Labor Party projected a unilateral support for union workers while joining in an unholy alliance with the environmental faction that hurt workers and their families. This blue-green alliance exists as an enigma wrapped up in a conundrum. Nobody can make sense of it, especially your average workers who just want to support themselves and their families.

I remember my early days in the Republican Labor Federation. I admit our numbers lacked size and impact back in the day, but this long-standing wing of the Republican Party gave birth to the newly formed Republican Farmer Labor Caucus this past summer, of which I proudly count myself a part. Many Republicans now actively seek the long-overdue endorsement, financial support, and the votes of union members. Have you wondered why labor unions spend millions of dollars "educating" their members on the political, economic, and social issues we face all while demanding votes for the DFL? I thought everyone in a union voted straight DFL all the time. They do not, and they will not in the future. The union power brokers know it, and it frightens them greatly as they watch power and influence slip through their fingers.

Minnesotans need new mining jobs in order to secure our future and the way of life we enjoy. Nobody needs to choose between clean water, clean air, and a paycheck when all three can live in harmony with one another. The PolyMet mining project holds the record as the most scrutinized and heavily regulated mining operation in the state, and that will not change in the future over the life of the mine.

I look forward to putting Minnesota's miners back to work as we continue the long and proud history of the Iron Range.

Justin Krych is an Esko resident who is Deputy Chair of the 8th District Republican Party, and is a mediator with Conflict Management Services. Contact him at 218-393-1989.