PolyMet plans open house, tours in Hoyt Lakes May 29
Friday, May 24, 2013 By Aaron Brown
PolyMet Mining will hold an open house to show people how the company plans to mine nonferrous minerals in northern Minnesota. The event will take place at the Hoyt Lakes Arena from noon to 6 p.m. on Wednesday, May 29. PolyMet Mining Open House
May 29, 2013
12-6 p.m.
Hoyt Lakes Arena
102 Kennedy Memorial Drive
Hoyt Lakes, MN
Presentation Schedule
12:30 p.m.
Jobs and Training
2 p.m.
Vendors, Contractors and
Labor Update
3:30 p.m.
Investor Perspectives
5 p.m.
Myth Busting
Plant Tours:
- Tours leave every half hour from 12:30 p.m. to 5 p.m.
- Tickets available at arena on a first-come-first-serve basis.
- Flat-soled, closed-toed shoes required.
- Children 12 and older welcome when accompanied by an adult.
I'd actually like to see some of this, but I'll be over on the other side of the Range that day. Check it out and let me know what you think.
See the 'Dylan by Duluth' sculpture concept
Friday, May 24, 2013 By Aaron Brown
Last Sunday I talked about a new Bob Dylan sculpture project in Duluth in my preview of northern Minnesota's Dylan Fest and Dylan Days (starting today!)
Here's a sneak peak at the sculpture, which was unveiled at a preview yesterday:
The "Dylan by Duluth" website launches Monday, with a Kickstarter raising funds for the project starting in early June. My column last Sunday explains more.
Here's a sneak peak at the sculpture, which was unveiled at a preview yesterday:
The "Dylan by Duluth" website launches Monday, with a Kickstarter raising funds for the project starting in early June. My column last Sunday explains more.
Dylan Days commence in Hibbing, Minnesota
Friday, May 24, 2013 By Aaron Brown
Duluth poet laureate Sheila Packa will lead a poetry workshop from 1-3 p.m. at the Hibbing Memorial Building dining hall.
At 3,
Dylan Days continues through the weekend, especially tomorrow where a number of events are scheduled in Dylan's hometown.
See the complete schedule at www.dylandays.org.
Advanced tech predicts Ojard's replacement at Duluth port authority
Thursday, May 23, 2013 By Aaron Brown
Today it was announced that Adolph Ojard, executive director of the Duluth Seaway Port Authority, is retiring. Shipping is a big deal in the Twin Ports of Duluth, Minnesota, and Superior, Wisconsin, a vital transportation artery for the mining industry of the Iron Range and many agriculture and manufacturing interests.
It's important that we know the port authority is in good hands once the capable Mr. Ojard steps down. That's why I've hired a crack team of researchers to develop technology to predict the next hire for the port authority using only the fanciest of the fancy sciences.
First, let's take a look at Ojard:
OK, got it. Now, Malory ... Malory, can you lock cell 568 into the binary pandometer? Yeah, about 70 decijoules. There you go.
Next, let's look at the previous executive director of the Duluth Seaway Port Authority, Davis Helberg. Helberg was a Duluth shipping legend who took the helm of the port authority in 1979. Here he is:
Great. Manmohan, load the polarity meters into the desceleron chamber. I figure, maybe 45 percent opacity? No, wait. Try 55 percent. Good. Very good.
Using our advanced technology we can now project with 98 percent accuracy who will be selected as the next executive director of the Duluth Seaway Port Authority.
Kendra, initiate magenta protocol. Ready? Go!
Click below the jump to find out what the data show.
Read more...
It's important that we know the port authority is in good hands once the capable Mr. Ojard steps down. That's why I've hired a crack team of researchers to develop technology to predict the next hire for the port authority using only the fanciest of the fancy sciences.
First, let's take a look at Ojard:
OK, got it. Now, Malory ... Malory, can you lock cell 568 into the binary pandometer? Yeah, about 70 decijoules. There you go.
Next, let's look at the previous executive director of the Duluth Seaway Port Authority, Davis Helberg. Helberg was a Duluth shipping legend who took the helm of the port authority in 1979. Here he is:
Great. Manmohan, load the polarity meters into the desceleron chamber. I figure, maybe 45 percent opacity? No, wait. Try 55 percent. Good. Very good.
Using our advanced technology we can now project with 98 percent accuracy who will be selected as the next executive director of the Duluth Seaway Port Authority.
Kendra, initiate magenta protocol. Ready? Go!
Click below the jump to find out what the data show.
Read more...
Magnetation secures $325 million for Mesabi Range, Indiana expansions
Wednesday, May 22, 2013 By Aaron Brown
Though it's an area that prides itself on its public works, the Iron Range tends to do better economically when private equity moves around. That's why Magnetation's announcement yesterday of a $325 million investment in their new concentration plant by Coleraine and pellet plant in Indiana is potentially the sleeper story of the year on the western Mesabi.Essar Steel is also moving around some private funds by Nashwauk. Point is, two large new facilities that didn't exist a couple years ago will soon exist and employ several hundred people between the two. We've discussed these things in the abstract for a long time, but the logistical end-game will be very helpful to the communities here.
Here is the press release from Magnetation:
GRAND RAPIDS, MN, May 21, 2013 – Magnetation LLC (Magnetation) announced today that it has successfully completed a $325 million senior secured notes offering and has entered into a $50 million senior secured credit facility. The proceeds from the notes offering will be used for capital expenditures to construct a new concentrate reclamation plant northwest of Coleraine, Minnesota and a new manufacturing plant in Reynolds, Indiana to produce high-quality iron ore pellets, a critical steelmaking raw material. Production from the pellet plant will supply AK Steel’s blast furnaces located in Ohio and Kentucky.
In addition, Magnetation announced today that it has received a $50 million contribution from AK Steel as part of AK steel’s remaining $150 million commitment to Magnetation LLC. Thus far, AK Steel has invested approximately $200 million of a planned $300 million. AK Steel will contribute the final $100 million during 2014 or as needed to support the construction of the new pellet plant.
“We are excited to announce that our expansion projects are now fully funded,” said Larry Lehtinen, CEO of Magnetation. “With this financing secured, we anticipate producing high quality fluxed pellets during the fourth quarter of 2014. Upon startup of the pellet plant and Plant 4, Magnetation will become a 4 million tonne per year iron ore producer employing about 500 people, providing high quality iron oxide pellets to AK Steel, low residual iron ore concentrate to AHMSA of Mexico and high grade iron oxides to various specialty market customers. We couldn’t be more pleased with the progress made by all of our team members and stakeholders.”
Between the lines we can now read that AK Steel will remain a very big player in Magnetation's future, to the degree that the two companies have locked their destinies together to some extent.
Hill Annex Mine State Park faces uncertain future
Wednesday, May 22, 2013 By Aaron Brown
Hill Annex Mine State Park in Calumet is Buried in the park's charter is a provision that it could be closed if the iron ore reserves below the park were ever deemed commercially viable. Essar Steel, which aims to start operations north and west of Nashwauk next year is saying they might be interested in mining there.
Hill Annex Mine Park shows what a mine site looks like and conducts tours of the pit lakes, but also does a lot of exploration into the unique geology of the area.
Scott Stein with the Scenic Range News Forum reported this in last week's edition. The Scenic is under new management and has invested in putting more work into local reporting.
UPDATE: Duh. Hill Annex isn't the only mining-related state park. Soudan's underground mine is also a state park. Was I thinking camping? I don't know. Anyway, Hill Annex and Soudan are very different animals, despite the mining connections. For instance, they have a secret laboratory at the bottom of the Soudan mine. No bull.
Session shifts state priorities, creates opportunity for northern MN
Tuesday, May 21, 2013 By Aaron Brown
The budget deficit found at the beginning of the year was balanced with a $2 billion increase in taxes on the state's wealthiest citizens and smokers. The so-called "school shift," the accounting gimmick where public school districts had their payments delayed as a mechanism for balancing the budget's of the last few bienniums was paid back in full. An historic new investment in K-12 and higher education was made. Legislators made additional investments in health and human services and other public projects. Local Government Aid and property tax relief were also passed, signaling a shift back toward an income-tax based government, not one that taxes on property regardless of owners' incomes.
Locally on the Iron Range, a new minerals article in the tax bill will pay for several projects out of the region's unique mining production taxes -- money paid by mines in lieu of local property taxes. Most of these projects relate to renovation of aging community facilities. Itasca County got a particularly good haul, thanks in part to the presence Rep. Tom Anzelc (DFL-Balsam Township)* on the conference committee. The Reif Center, Greenway's arena and several local fire departments will be able to proceed with plans to consolidate or renovate space. Several other projects on the central and eastern Mesabi were also green-lighted, with leadership from Rep. Carly Melin (DFL-Hibbing) and Senate Majority Leader Tom Bakk (DFL-Cook).
One disappointment was that with the failure of the bonding bill to attract enough GOP support, money that was to fund the Highway 53 relocation effort put in by Rep. Jason Metsa (DFL-Virginia) will have to wait another year.
State Republicans, in the traditional role of the minority party, are touring the state lamenting the budget. The DFL did a similar thing in recent years after Republican budgets were passed. The main GOP complaints have been the large tax increase and what they call "overreach" by the DFL government.
Much analysis has pointed to Republicans being glad to run against this DFL budget in the 2014 election. That might well be so. But much of their phrasing is based on a line of thinking more suited for a Republican primary. For the GOP to be successful in winning back the House in 2014 (the Senate isn't up until 2016) they would have to count on independent voters who abandoned them last time agreeing that the session was an overreach.
But the flip side of this is that the session might not have been an overreach. The DFL ran on property tax relief, taxing the wealthy, paying back the school shift and trying to freeze tuition at state universities. It appears they will have achieved all of those goals. Now, maybe it could be said that the voters didn't know what they really wanted. Swing voters often move back and forth simply as a corrective force keeping both sides in check. But the DFL has a good argument that they did what they said they would do.
Naturally, some have also suggested the Minnesota's adoption of marriage equality could be an issue that sticks to vulnerable DFL incumbents, particularly in districts where last year's gay marriage ban was popular (the ban failed statewide). My own gut tells me that social conservatives -- good for about 37 percent of the vote -- will remain motivated by this issue, but that in a year other voters will simply move on. I doubt the issue is even discussed much in 5 or ten years.
The DFL has a number of priorities -- a higher minimum wage and a bonding bill -- on tap for next year. Those two issues pose as many political hazards for Republicans as they do DFLers. It's hard to say where exactly the voters will be in 2014. If the economy continues to improve, it could be argued they'll be pretty happy with what they got and might be willing to swallow the parts they don't like.
As I've said before, success is not assured. Now it is up to education and local leaders to show that state investment can yield good things for people.
* As I always, I disclose that Tom Anzelc is a friend and I have run his legislative campaigns.
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