Andrew Slade, Minnesota Environmental Partnership
At the MPCA hearing in Virginia about KeeTac’s water quality permit on September 3, it came down to fear versus hope. The attendees were so numerous they opened up a wall and nearly doubled the meeting room capacity. If only it was so easy to bring folks together on the issues.
There seemed to be two things all 500+ people could agree on:
1. That iron mining is very important to the communities and economy of the region.
2. That everyone loves the clean water and outdoor recreation to be found here.
But having one big room didn’t mean that everyone agreed. What still divided the room almost neatly in half was the question of how to maintain that iron mining economy while protecting the environment. Do we live in hope or in fear?
This was a public information session held by the MPCA regarding two draft permits and a variance request for the KeeTac mine. In the front of the room, a panel of MPCA leaders first shared some background information about the permitting process, then responded to audience member questions.
When it came to public testimony, things got a bit strained. There would only be time for about 35 speakers, and 150 people signed up to speak. The MPCA drew names at random.
MEP’s Andrew Slade attended the event and shared a few observations:
- This was by no means a neutral convening place. Participants entered through the “US Steel Lobby” and the meeting was held in “Minnesota Power Hall.”
- While US Steel was at the negotiating table for many years working out the details of the new draft permit, including a detailed compliance schedule, US Steel also hosted a reception before the hearing in the room next door and prepped their trade union people, employees and contracts to speak up against that same draft permit.
- The Indigenous voices were strong and all opposed to the variance.
- All six local Legislators spoke up against the draft permits and in favor of the variance that US Steel had requested and that the MPCA has denied. Of all the speakers, they seemed to do more rallying than reasoning. One county commissioner intentionally turned his back to the MPCA and spoke directly to the participants.
- Many MEP member groups were represented, including Water Legacy and Izaak Walton League. In an informal tally, of the 39 speakers. 17 were pro-environment.
- A former miner and labor leader who wore his company jacket and an “I Love Wild Rice” sticker said to Andrew afterward, “The company’s strategy is all about fear.”
One core question underlying both the presentation and testimony was whether US Steel would spend the money required to install the water treatment system needed to bring the discharge to meet the standards. Environmental advocates were hopeful that US Steel would do so, especially with the huge cash infusion coming from Nippon Steel’s acquisition. Local labor and business leaders believed the opposite and feared that the plant would close rather than incur the cost.
In this company town and in this corporate meeting place, you could feel the strain between neighbors, strung along between fear and hope.