On May 29th, three IRE student
interns attended an open house hosted by PolyMet Mining at the Hoyt Lakes
Arena, a few miles from the site of their operation. The company is looking to establish the first
nonferrous mining operation in the state, and is into the draft supplemental
environmental impact statement phase of its permit application process.
PolyMet offered visitors four ninety-minute
presentations:
· Jobs and training
·
Vendors, contractors, and labor update
·
Investor perspectives
·
Myth busting
In addition to these presentations,
PolyMet set up several stations pertaining to specific segments of their
operation on the ice rink. Visitors were
encouraged to ask questions and take literature from these booths. Local community colleges were also in
attendance with booths set up. The IRE student interns also managed a booth and
disseminated information regarding the curriculum to interested visitors.
The student interns found the plant
and grounds tour to be the most interesting.
It highlighted which buildings would be retrofitted, which would be
demolished, and even included a stop inside the old LTV crusher.
If this open house reflects any
indication regarding the quality and character of PolyMet’s operations, our
natural resources, environment, and the local communities are in good hands.
Proof Read By: Korpi and Kylie Harer
Proof Read By: Korpi and Kylie Harer
