1. To ensure that commissioners operate in a manner that reflects the goodness of the people of St Louis County; that commissioners are Accountable; that the commissioners are Fair and that the actions of the commissioners are Just
2. Ensure Adoption of a Code of Conduct
for St Louis County Commissioners and required
attendance at sexual harassment and diversity
training for all commissioners
3. To provide an avenue for the people
of St Louis County to be more aware of the actions
of their commissioners
1. To ensure that commissioners operate in a manner that reflects the goodness of the people of St Louis County; that commissioners are accountable; that the commissioners are fair and that the actions of the commissioners are just
2. Ensure Adoption of a Code of Conduct for St Louis County Commissioners and required
attendance at sexual harassment and diversity
training for all commissioners
3. To provide an avenue for the people of St Louis County to be more aware of the actions
of their commissioners
The county board will meet on Tuesday December 20, 2011
On Tuesday December 13, a proposal was put forward by Commissioner Nelson of Virginia seeking a resolution in support of non ferrous mining which will be discussed at the Committee of the Whole. The resolution faced opposition and was withdrawn. Commissioner Forsman has suggested that he will seek to put the resolution on the agenda at the upcoming meeting in Ely on Dec 20th. That meeting is often held with a regular meeting, followed by a committee of the whole, and sometimes by an additional meeting after the committee of the whole so as to be proactive due to the upcoming holidays and end of year.
To date the board has not publicly explored the risks and rewards posed by Non ferrous mining to the Duluth Complex - the area roughly identified below in gold.
Yesterday's meeting is viewable in its entirety on Wednesday Dec 14 at 7 PM on Pact TV Channel 20 on Charter Communications Cable TV or by taking the movie out of the library. Presently, despite having technology to do so, the county is not streaming or making available online its meetings or videos thereof. Ask the County to make these archives accessible to the public on the internet.
Tuesday Dec 13, St. Louis County Board Meeting Video Excerpts Below
The audio quality was poor in parts of the official recording of the event - it isn't your computer or ears!
County Commissioners discuss a resolution supporting nonferrous mining the new kind of mining proposed in Minnesota that has never been done without producing large amounts of toxic waste and in our nation resulting in "Superfund Cleanup sites" and considered the most dangerous form of mining in the nation. Commissioners share their views on the situation and seeing that they lack support the makers of the motion finally decide to withdraw the motion and move the decison to Ely in a special meeting that allows for a meeting, a Committee of the Whole and then another meeting. This unusual situation allows things to be considered for a vote and then be voted upon at one meeting. It is often used to push through controversial issues such as the 75 cent a mile mileage reimbursement commissioners voted themselves not long ago (and then later reversed) This is not a meeting to openly and transparently vet a highly controversial issue that has county and state, national and international impact.
Public Comment Period :
Second Half hour of Public Speakers :
The map below generally identifies the Ceded Territory from the 1854 Treaty.
Proposed resolution regarding Non Ferrous Mining requested by Commissioner Keith Nelson:
"Resolution in Support of Non-Ferrous Mining in St. Louis County
BY COMMISSIONER ____________________________________________
WHEREAS, non-ferrous ores contain metals used in daily life - copper,
nickel,
cobalt, platinum, palladium and gold – and found in countless products,
including cell
phones, computers, joint replacements, electrical wiring, hybrid cars and
catalytic
converters; and
WHEREAS, the United States does not meet its domestic demand for these
valuable metals, importing from 40% to 95% of the metals it uses, often from
countries
with little or no environmental regulations; and
WHEREAS, pollution from unregulated mines joins a global pool that deposits
contaminants around the world; and
WHEREAS, current non-ferrous mining operations planned for St. Louis County
must meet strict state and federal laws to protect human health and the
environment,
including the preparation and regular updating of detailed closure plans
along financial
resources designated to pay for such closure; and
WHEREAS, the first non-ferrous mining operation planned for St. Louis County
anticipates construction of a $600 million project providing more than 1.5
million man
hours of labor for skilled trades over two years, and is expected to provide
400 stable
jobs at completion with an annual payroll of $40 million, with an
anticipated 500 more
spin-off jobs in St. Louis County alone generating more than $242 million in
economic
benefits in the county.
NOW THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, that the St. Louis County Board
declares its support for the various non-ferrous mining initiatives
currently planned for
development in St. Louis County, Minnesota, and will consider all
opportunities to assist
the success of these projects, whenever appropriate, contingent upon the
approval of all
federal and state environmental permits necessary for these projects to move
forward."
The St. Louis County Board has in the past worked on resolutions and these have at times been controversial. The one in the video below was discussed at a workshop before workshops were recorded, when they were "away from the press" At that workshop the board voted on a matter which later drew significant attention from the environmental community. Mr. Nelson refers to the vote taken (calling it a "straw vote") from which orders were given to a department head to carry out. There was no public record of the vote or the orders. That can no longer happen. Board workshops are now taped by the board and broadcast by Pact. They could be live streamed by the board, and archived. The board has chosen not to do so.
This is an example of the board working on a resolution :
Click here to see larger version of image above HERE These are the areas presently under exploration/leasing in Northern Mn. There are many large, multinational corporations involved in the search for precious metals in NE Minnesota, the corporations stand to make enormous profits if given access to Minnesota resources. Many are tied to companies with local sounding names.
Many groups and individuals have growing concerns about a new form of mining proposed in our region. Exploration is being conducted all over the region north of Duluth in the "Duluth Complex" There are significant problems with this kind of mining, because it is in areas with high levels of sulfide. The sulfide causes acid mine drainage. The EPA found the first proposed project so poorly designed that it gave it the worst possible scores and the project, the Polymet Northmet project, is in a second go around of environmental scrutiny. See the article cited here for more information : http://lakesuperiorminingnews.net/2010/02/23/feds-polymet-environmental-review-unsatisfactory/
The EPA is the oversight body of the MPCA, the MPCA, Army Corps of Engineers and Minnesota DNR are working on the Supplemental EIS with the company and exerting their efforts to make the project possible but without harm to the environment.
Concurrent efforts are underway in Congress and the Minnesota Legislature, undertaken by members of our elected leadership, to weaken the protections established in law that preserve the water and air quality.
Dissenting view: Creating our own Appalachia means giving up too much
By: Marc Fink, For the News Tribune
Over the years we’ve seen, in the Appalachia region of West Virginia and eastern Kentucky, what happens when a single industry becomes a sacred cow, supported by politicians across the spectrum for their own self interest and political survival. The end result has been tops literally blown off mountains, vanishing streams and continued poverty in local communities.
This scene, unfortunately, now seems to be playing out in Northeastern Minnesota as our local, state, and national politicians compete with each other to see who can offer the loudest support for corporations entering our state to strip-mine copper, nickel, and other metals from the Iron Range.
Lost in the politicians’ rush to support this new type of mining in Minnesota is not only the horrid record of similar projects across the country, but facts disclosed in the just-released draft environmental review for the PolyMet proposal.
For instance, the proposed mine site is within the Superior National Forest, where an open pit strip mine is not even allowed. Instead of enforcing this provision to protect a public resource, the U.S. Forest Service entered into private negotiations for an exchange of national forest lands with PolyMet.
As I understand it, the proposed mine would directly destroy more than 850 acres of high-quality wetlands with more than 650 additional acres of wetlands indirectly impaired. The total wetlands impact would be more than 1,500 acres. And the vast majority of the required wetlands mitigation would occur outside the St. Louis River watershed.
Lakes and streams downstream of the proposed site already are impaired due to mercury pollution, prompting fish consumption advisories. The proposed mine could result in seepage of high sulfate concentrations, which, according to the draft analysis, could create “high risk situations” for mercury methylation. As explained in the analysis, methyl mercury is the “active form of mercury that accumulates in fish and is toxic to humans and wildlife.” The proposed mine would place tailings on the former LTV tailings basin, which is unlined and already causing seepage to groundwater and surface water.
According to the experts of tribal cooperating agencies, water collection and treatment could be needed for 2,000 years to avoid further water-quality contamination. How do you factor that into any financial assurance from the mining company?
The PolyMet mine also could destroy nearly 1,500 acres of critical habitat for Canada lynx and wolves. Moreover, the project could affect two of only 13 remaining wildlife corridors across the Iron Range, with additional projects anticipated to affect nine of these corridors.
The mine is expected to generate nearly 400 million tons of waste rock and account for an annual carbon footprint of 767,648 metric tons of carbon dioxide emissions.
The mine site is located within the 1854 Treaty Ceded Territory, where the Bois Forte Band of Chippewa, Fond du Lac Band of Lake Superior Chippewa, and Grand Portage Band of Chippewa retain hunting, fishing and gathering rights.
And PolyMet is just the first of a number of potential copper-nickel mines in Northeastern Minnesota, with our political leadership showing little restraint in its thirst for supporting this type of industry across the region.
If we commit to decades of additional and environmentally harmful mining, are we locking ourselves into a permanent resource-extraction economy — at the price of long-term pollution from Lake Superior to the Boundary Waters — while driving away other industry and points of view?
Too bad our politicians have apparently failed to ask this question.
Marc Fink of Duluth is a senior attorney with the Center for Biological Diversity
Reviewing Past Issues
Land Sales to Tribes
Look for an update in the near future regarding the issue as it stands today. The township where much of the property that was the focus of this dispute was located is Stony Brook Township.
Audio of Workshop at which the board voted and Chair Fink gave direction to the land department to remove lands the tribe had requested to buy from sale. here
Chairwoman Diver Addressing SLC Board, several commissioners were absent below : hit the forward arrow
Video of County Attorney Reporting on Public Request made by Commissioner Nelson regarding Public Recording of County Board Workshops.
News Coverage / LTE HERE
St. Louis County Board gives final approval to Fond du Lac land sale
St. Louis County commissioners on Tuesday gave final approval to selling two parcels of county forest land to the Fond du Lac band of Chippewa more than a year after blocking the same sales.
St. Louis County commissioners on Tuesday gave final approval to selling two parcels of county forest land to the Fond du Lac band of Chippewa more than a year after blocking the same sales.
The 94 acres are within the current boundaries of the Fond du Lac Reservation in Stony Brook and Brevator townships.
The band will pay the county about $150,000 for the two parcels, with the money to be divided among the state, county, school districts and local governments.
Last year the board took two stands against increased Indian-owned land within the reservation, first ordering its land commissioner not to negotiate with the band to sell county land. The board also sent a formal letter to state and federal officials opposing the sale of private land within the reservation to the band if the land would be taken off county tax rolls and placed in federal trust.
Commissioner Dennis Fink said his opposition had been to the loss of tax revenues from such sales, not to selling land to the band. Fink noted that placing land in Indian trust would reduce the amount of taxable land in the county and spread the tax burden on the remaining landowners.
Opponents to trust land note that 63 percent of the county is already in county, state or federal government control and not paying property taxes.
But supporters of the band’s efforts to reacquire its reservation land say Fond du Lac should be given the right to rebuild its reservation for housing, hunting, traditional harvesting and other activities. Supporters of the land sale held a rally on the county courthouse steps last year expressing anger at what some felt were racist remarks and actions by some commissioners.
Commissioner Steve O’Neil of Duluth said it was “ironic” that Fond du Lac and other Ojibwe people once occupied all of St. Louis County, agreed to give it up for a permanent reservation and now are being forced to buy back that same reservation land.
Increasing Indian-owned land within the reservation boundaries is a top priority of the Fond du Lac tribal government. The band in recent years has acquired 3,000 acres of former Potlatch Co. land and has sought to buy other private and county lands as they become available. State law offers the band the first chance to buy county forest land if it is for sale.
In 1854, the band controlled more than 100,000 acres within reservation boundaries in Carlton and St. Louis counties. Now, less than one-third is in official reservation trust status. Much of the land was taken or bought back in the late 1800s and early 1900s and sold or given to white settlers, railroads and lumber barons.
It remains unclear whether the County Board will reverse its stand opposing tribal trust status for Fond du Lac lands purchased from private landowners.
Stony Brook Township is the location of some of the disputed land.
