ST. PAUL, MN—Rep. Tom Hackbarth, R-Cedar, Chair of the House Mining and Outdoor Recreation Policy Committee, issued the following statement regarding a letter sent yesterday by Governor Mark Dayton regarding the proposed Twin Metals mine. The letter informed Twin Metals that the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources has been instructed by the Governor not to authorize or enter into any new state access agreements or lease agreements for mining operations for the proposed mine.
"Today's letter from Governor Dayton begs the question: Does he believe mining is a part of Minnesota's future? This is another unfortunate instance of Governor Dayton injecting himself into a process executed by his own state agencies, and unnecessarily putting up roadblocks and delays for job creation in northern Minnesota. His decision today prevents Twin Metals from conducting even non-invasive studies that would help the project move forward. Minnesota has a strong history of thorough and stringent environmental review and permitting processes designed to address any concerns a potential project might have. The Governor is once again putting the interests of extreme environmentalists ahead of job creation in northern Minnesota."
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