A handful of students and Northland community members gathered in the Marshall Alworth lecture hall Oct. 7 to discuss the issue of sulfide mining in the Superior National Forest. The discussion was hosted by Attorney General candidate Andy Dawkins. Dawkins is leading a campaign focused on the preservation of the forest, as well as the Boundary Waters. Attendance included Ray “Skip” Sandman, a Green Party candidate who is running for Minnesota’s 8th Congressional District, and is also showing support for the cause.
The discussion centered around the topic of companies such as Polymet — a Canadian mining company — that are attempting to privatize public lands in the Superior National Forest in order to build processing plants. The major concern for Green Party candidates is the pollution that will result from the allowance of such plants by the proposed land exchange.
If Polymet is allowed to build a plant in the area, the estimated timeline for pollution in the waters of Superior National Forest is 500 years. Candidates such as Dawkins and Sandman are advocating for future generations of Northern Minnesota in order to prevent the countless environmental issues that would result from a leak.
Bob Tammen, a resident of Soudan, Minn., was one of the first to speak. He detailed the history of mining in the Iron Range and how companies such as Polymet destabilize the value of the surrounding communities.
“We are stripping our assets for very little reward,” Tammen said.
Tammen, among others in attendance, are dedicated to the cause of spreading the word about companies like Polymet and the threat they pose to the wetlands of northern Minnesota, one of the reasons why they are in strong support of Dawkins’ campaign.
“Andy Dawkins is one of the only candidates that wants to talk about it before the election,” Tammen said.
BY MADISON ROLES STATESMAN CORRESPONDENT