ST. PAUL –House Speaker Kurt Daudt, R-Crown, issued the following statement regarding Thursday’s announcement that the U.S. Bureau of Land Management and U.S. Forestry Service have moved to not renew federal mineral leases, a move likely to stall a proposed Twin Metals copper-nickel mine near Ely.
“It is clear this is a decision driven by Democrats who are trying to kill all the mining projects they can while the lame-duck Obama administration is still in office,” Daudt said. “It is astounding that Democrats are blocking what would be one of the largest private construction projects in state history, while also depriving Iron Range workers of hundreds of good-paying jobs that would follow.”
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