Exploiting their slight edge in number in the state's House of Representatives, 70-64, the Democrats on Jan. 26 passed the historic legislation banning the mining of primary fossil fuels. This coincided with Biden banning mining in the Iron Range in northeastern Minnesota, which is marked by four major iron ore deposits. (Related: FORCE MAJEURE: Massive global shutdowns are now under way for METALS SMELTING operations covering iron, copper, nickel, aluminum, zinc and STEEL.)
According to Alpha News, the bill on the mining ban got passed after seven hours of debate with the Republicans, who offered several amendments to make the timeline more manageable but got rejected.
The junked amendments included "lifting the state’s moratorium on new nuclear power plants; allowing for the use of carbon sequestration technologies; and delaying the standard to consider its impact on child and slave labor in the green energy supply chain."
Rep. Spencer Igo (R-Wabana Township) said at a press conference ahead of the debate that the bill will make "Minnesota reliant on nations around the globe that have no labor standards and no environmental standards. Minnesota in this bill will build a clean grid economy on the backs of child slaves in China and poor environmental regulations in Indonesia and the Congo."
Minnesota has large deposits of copper, nickel and cobalt
Igo lamented that the resources to build a clean energy future are right there in Minnesota, which leads the nation in iron ore production, but the federal government opted to ban mining in the state.
"The third-largest deposits of copper, nickel and cobalt that exist in the known world are only 250 miles north of this Capitol. Instead of investing in those resources … we have decided to export it around the world where carbon emissions will be 20, 25 or 30 times higher than if we were to do it here in Minnesota," Igo said.
Secretary of the Interior Deb Haaland signed Public Land Order 7917, which withdraws around 225,504 acres of land in the Superior National Forest in northeastern Minnesota from mineral leasing, according to a Jan. 26 press release.
The move drew criticism from mining associations and lawmakers who believe mining is necessary for the country's mineral security and could harm the interests of Twin Metals, a major mining company that seeks to build an underground mine in Ely, a small city in Saint Louis County, Minnesota.
Rep. Pete Stauber (R-Minn.), who represents the region where a proposed copper-nickel mine was to be set up by Twin Metals, called the Biden administration's decision "an attack on our way of life."
Meanwhile, National Mining Association CEO Rich Nolan said the decision is "nonsensical" considering that the U.S. is looking to be a "leader in manufacturing, innovation and climate."
According to Nolan, the government has imposed the mining moratorium at a time when the demand for minerals like nickel, cobalt and copper is "skyrocketing" because of their "widespread application in solar and wind infrastructure as well as electric vehicles."
Nolan pointed out that these lands could provide U.S. manufacturers with "plentiful sources" of minerals apart from providing high-paying domestic jobs. Further, the country is losing out on mining operations that would have been implemented in compliance with environmental and safety regulations.
Of course, these observations wouldn't be heeded by Biden and the Democrats. They want to flaunt their power with no regard for what is truly beneficial for the Minnesotans and Americans in general.
Watch the video below discussing Britain's approval of its first new coal mine in decades despite its climate targets.
This video is from the Iron Age News channel on Brighteon.com.
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