Local 49 Business Manager Jason George welcomed today’s announcement that two premier mining companies will work together in northern Minnesota.
PolyMet Mining Corp. and Teck American Inc. are forming a joint venture called NewRange Copper Nickel to mine PolyMet’s NorthMet project and Teck’s Mesaba project, both located in Minnesota’s Duluth Complex. Together the NorthMet and Mesaba projects represent one of the largest clean-energy mineral resources in the U.S.
“Today’s announced partnership between Teck American and Polymet is good news for the future of the Iron Range and the future of job creation in our region,” George said. “We look forward to partnering with them to get these projects done.
“Minnesota workers and businesses have an enormous opportunity in front of us. We can mine the minerals needed for green technology here. We can manufacture the batteries and other components here, too. For more than a century we’ve proven mining can be done safely in this region. NewRange Copper Nickel can help Minnesota be a leading source of responsibly mined minerals to help our country and the world meet their climate and clean energy goals.”
