ECONOMIC EFFECTS OF MINERAL RESOURCE DEVELOPMENT IN NORTHEAST MINNESOTA

The economic effects of mineral resource development addressed in this paper are the changes in employment, population and income in the State of Minnesota and in Northeast Minnesota. These include the present mining, processing and shipping of natural ores and taconite pellets and the potential copper-nickel development.Community/Rural/Urban Development, Resource /Energy Economics and Policy,

Northeast Minnesota: New Possibilities in the North Country

This is the second of four case studies examining the opportunities and challenges in Greater Minnesota. In the first report, Walljasper examined some of the big ideas coming out of the southeast, including the development of the Destination Medical Center in Rochester, the vibrant arts scene in Lanesboro, and many other examples of economic diversification. In this report, he heads to the beautifully diverse landscape of northeast Minnesota. He finds that some conditions have hardly changed from 30 years ago, including the heated debates over the effects of mining as communities consider ways to preserve both livelihoods and the environment. Such dire economic pressures are precisely what led to the inception of the Minnesota Initiative Foundations, six independent regional philanthropic organizations that have disbursed more than $285 million a year since their founding in 1986. Under the direction of Virginia McKnight Binger, then board chair of McKnight, and Russ Ewald, then president, McKnight created these unique entities because it believed that the people in the best position to lead in Greater Minnesota were those who lived and worked in the communities themselves. Thirty years later, we still hold on to that principle and remain committed to a prosperous and resilient Greater Minnesota. This report explores communities north of the metro area and east of Brainerd and Bemidji. Walljasper reports that the region's economy now goes far beyond mining to include tourism, education, health care, aviation, and advanced manufacturing. Mining makes up only 12 percent of the economy in the six-county region that encompasses the Iron Range. Duluth, with unemployment at 2.9 percent, is winning national accolades. Outside magazine recently named it "America's Best Town" and lauded its access to adventurous outdoor recreation such as trout fishing and downhill skiing. Aitkin County has been recognized for offering innovative senior services, and cities like Proctor and Pine City are reviving their downtowns with high levels of community engagement. As in all regions of the state, the challenges faced by the people in northeast Minnesota are not easy to overcome. For answers, local leaders are increasingly taking a deeper look at their community's entire range of assets and resources. We hope this report will spark more interest in this bountiful region and offer a fresh lens through which we can see all its potential

Michigan to Minnesota: The Early Development of the Mesabi Range

“Michigan to Minnesota: The Early Development of the Mesabi Range,” examines the role Michiganders played in the 19th century exploration and opening of the vast iron ore fields location in Minnesota. The paper also explores the transformation of the region from a collection of independent mining operations to a corporate model under the control of the Oliver Mining Company

Assessing the Silica (Frac) Sand Mining Environmental Regulatory Frameworks in Minnesota and Wisconsin: Who Has a Better Plan for Digging, the Gophers or Badgers?

In recent years silica (frac) sand mining activity in Minnesota and Wisconsin has grown significantly due to high demand for the sand from the hydraulic fracturing (or “fracking”) oil and gas extraction industry. Consequently, there has been much debate in the region over the proper state and local regulatory controls and overall framework to adequately protect against health and environmental impacts associated with the mining activities while also avoiding undue regulatory burdens that hinder economic development. This article analyzes the silica sand mining regulatory schemes in Minnesota and Wisconsin to determine if this booming industry is met with appropriate oversight. It appears that an adaptive regulatory approach over silica sand mining that integrates state and local oversight authority and promotes cooperative functioning between the state and local regulators is best suited to provide thorough environmental controls and promote regulatory efficiency. Several aspects of Minnesota and Wisconsin’s silica sand regulatory frameworks meld to create effective state-local adaptive approaches in each state, including: broad local governmental unit (LGU) authority to regulate land use to promote its communities’ best interests; state regulators providing technical assistance to local regulators; state-local regulator teamwork to strengthen local regulation and implement oversight programs; and state agencies inviting stakeholder input to guide regulatory changes. However, Minnesota and Wisconsin diverge with regard to recent legislative activity focused on silica sand mining in each state. In 2013, Minnesota enacted laws that create additional state oversight programs to address public concerns and facilitate a more cooperative state-local regulatory approach to silica sand mining. Wisconsin, on the other hand, has recently legislated heightened burdens on LGUs to control silica sand mining and a bill (S.B. 349) is currently under consideration that would significantly limit local and state authority to regulate sand mining while also transitioning to a state primacy regulatory scheme. Thus, it seems that Minnesota is taking steps in the right direction to develop a highly effective state-local regulatory framework that meets the needs for all stakeholders. But Wisconsin is treading on shaky ground that threatens to erode its strongly adaptive silica sand regulatory scheme, which may well lead to negative results for industry, public health, and the environment

The “Commercial Offer for Sale” Standard After Minnesota Mining v. Chemque

The Supreme Court established a two-part test for determining when an invention is on sale under 35 U.S.C. §102(b) in Pfaff v. Wells Electronics, Inc. For the on-sale bar to be triggered, the invention must be ready for patenting and subject of a commercial offer for sale. In Minnesota Mining & Manufacturing v. Chemque, Inc., the Federal Circuit expounded on what constitutes a commercial offer for sale. This iBrief explores what is considered a commercial offer for sale

The “Commercial Offer for Sale” Standard After Minnesota Mining v. Chemque

The Supreme Court established a two-part test for determining when an invention is on sale under 35 U.S.C. §102(b) in Pfaff v. Wells Electronics, Inc. For the on-sale bar to be triggered, the invention must be ready for patenting and subject of a commercial offer for sale. In Minnesota Mining & Manufacturing v. Chemque, Inc., the Federal Circuit expounded on what constitutes a commercial offer for sale. This iBrief explores what is considered a commercial offer for sale

from A Poetry Handbook for Mining Engineers

This poetry collection utilizes A.G. Charleton’s Report Book for Mining Engineers (Whitehead, Morris & Co, 1908). The original 200-page report book contains questions and blank entries for the engineer to collect information for mine owners planning to sell or acquire property. The poems in from A Poetry Handbook for Mining Engineers use the artifact of this handbook—and the unanswered questions in the found text—to interrogate historic language surrounding mining and excavation, as well as material accumulation, alchemical practices, and the tradition of mining in northern Minnesota and the Norwegian village of Røros

RHETORIC AND PERCEPTION: A CASE STUDY OF THE PROPOSED NORTHMET MINE ON MINNESOTA’S IRON RANGE

Northern Minnesota is rich in natural resources, perhaps most uniquely the expansive mineral deposits of the Mesabi and Vermilion Ranges. The steel and taconite mining opportunities along these veins helped facilitate the rapid growth and infrastructure development of the area and is an important part of the identity of the region northwest of Duluth, aptly known as Iron Range. In addition to iron deposits, The Iron Range contains large deposits of copper and nickel. Recently proposed copper-nickel mining projects by PolyMet and Twin Metals have garnered a great deal of public controversy, especially around issues of economic revitalization of the region and potential pollution associated with this type of mining. This thesis considers public perceptions of the proposed NorthMet mine in the Arrowhead Region of Minnesota. By considering the strategies both pro-mining and environmental groups have used in an attempt to sway public opinion, analyzing public comments, and conducting interviews, this research addresses how considering the NorthMet controversy in terms of the concept of social license to operate helps to frame a conversation about public perceptions of PolyMet and the proposed mine itself. A term coined by the mining industry, social license to operate (SLO) refers to a society’s general acceptance of a corporation or project, based on considerations of legitimacy, credibility and trust. SLO is considered separately from regulatory acceptance. While a social license to operate is not strictly required for a mining project to succeed, failure to achieve SLO may affect the efficient progress of a project through resulting protests, blockades, litigation, and other methods. In the following research, I consider a breadth of data, including rhetorical strategies implemented by PolyMet, pro-mining groups, and environmental groups to sway public opinion about the project, a random sampling of public comments on the Final Environmental Impact Statement, and a handful of semi-structured interviews with individuals from the Arrowhead region of Minnesota. Presented as a case study, this thesis contributes to a growing body of academic literature about social license to operate and community perception of extractive industries

STATEWIDE ECONOMIC AND FISCAL EFFECTS OF THE DIRECT REDUCTION OF IRON ORE TO STEEL IN NORTHEAST MINNESOTA

The Minnesota Regional Development Simulation Laboratory (SIMLAB) was used to simulate statewide economic effects of three iron mining industry options--revitalization of the Lower Great Lakes states steel industry, gradual liquidation of this industry, and the direct reduction of iron ore to steel in Northeast Minnesota. Industry output, employment, and value added indicators for the 1970 and 1977 years are compared with corresponding economic indicators for the 1980-2000 projection period. Finally, mineral-related state tax revenue trends are presented. Changes in these trends which are associated with each of the three iron mining industry options are projected for the 1980-89 period.Community/Rural/Urban Development, Resource /Energy Economics and Policy,