Babbitt, Minnesota: 2013

Friday, December 13, 2013

Responsible Minnesota Mining Resource Listing

Want to learn more about mining and cut through the usual misinformation floating around out there at the environmental activist sites?

Here is a starting place of resources to begin with.

We Support Minnesota Mining Resource Listing

Wednesday, August 28, 2013

Letter To The Editor: Joe Baltich discussing the BWCA,economy, tourism and mining.

Somebody from the Twin Cities wanted me to sign a petition banning sulfide mining. I couldn't help myself. These tourists need to know the other side of the story:

Geez, Dan. The whole town of Ely is economically collapsing. Last year (2012) 156 people were in the obituary and the New Year's Baby was born on Feb. 10. Resort bookings for May and June were substantially off and I'm pretty sure they will be down for July and August. The anecdotal estimate is that Ely business is OFF by about 25 - 30%. Boundary Waters Canoe Area use is in fairly steep decline. I should know, I've been an outfitter and resorter for my entire life in Ely. The parking lots at the entry points were rarely full, most seeing 25% occupancy for the majority of summer.

   As America ages, nobody wants to come and sleep on a rock only to be restricted to paddling a canoe. They want to jump in a boat/snomobile and go fishing without having the government breathing down their necks requiring permits, allowing dog sleds but not motors, no cans or bottles but 2 liter plastic bottles are OK. However, burning plastic is illegal. It is illegal to leave the BWCA to go shopping in Ely because it voids one's permit. These are only a smattering of the rules that the vast majority of twin cities tourists can't even get right so they laughably remain in constant violation of the laws they support so strongly. When they come from out of state, it's even harder to get them to comply.

    So, Ely is slipping. Everything is for sale and nobody's buying. A liquor store that was successful since the early 70's has been up for sale for 5 years now. Nobody is even looking at the building. Another liquor store has the same story. A restaurant has been sitting empty for years on end, rotting, because no one will buy it. Back when the mines where humming along in the 60's and 70's it, too, was a successful business.

    The first decline for Ely began in 1964 when the government closed 17 resorts under eminent domain. The mines were still running at full speed then so it was harder to notice. When the so-called "wilderness goldmine" came to be (final, most restrictive phase of the Boundary Waters law PL 95-495 in 1978), we began to witness the second decline as several resorts sold out again in a government buyout and closed their doors for good in the early 80's. With the introduction of the internet and electronic "toys" in the 90's, we began to see business drop off again. Then the economy began to really falter in the mid to late 2000's and we've lost an entire generation of young kids being brought to the woods to enjoy the outdoors. Their young parents were products of the internet and shopping malls. They didn't have the interest or the money to go and be uncomfortable in the Boundary Waters by Ely. Plus, with very aggressive advertising for the Disneylands and pampered cruises of the world to the well-connected online, we've lost some more ground. Some families simply can't afford anything and grow up like I did in Ely - rarely taking a vacation, ever.

   Now, those of us remaining in Ely today are experiencing a graduating class of 45 kids when in 1979 it was 159. Those kids aren't sticking around. The median user age in the BWCA is 55. In another 5 years, where do you think that's going to be? How long will it be (realistically) before our out-of-shape 60-year-olds decide that going to Florida and sitting on the beach is more enjoyable than schlepping a wet #4 pack and a canoe over a portage? I've heard it many times by many of our idealistic tourists that they "plan" to be paddling the BWCA until they die. Right... We all know precisely how accurate that prediction almost always winds up to be in reality. People get old, they get injured, and they stop coming.

   So, other than making a private and very temporary playground for older twin cities enthusiasts, what is your plan to see Ely survive? With Ely's average population aged 65 and older are you willing to pay substantially more in your personal taxes to keep Ely going? Will you contribute to keep the hospital operating, the roads to the entry points paved and maintained, and the schools open? How much extra are you willing to contribute to pay for law enforcement in the BWCA region? Meth use is on the rise in Ely and I'm sure, the entire region. How many more tax dollars are you willing to contribute to our area to fund dealing with this problem? Are you willing to quit your good-paying, twin cities area job as a master electrician and move to Ely to experience feast and famine personally? And how long will it be before you join the mass exodus out of town after you decide that making a living in Ely on tourism is a very difficult proposition requiring long hours and not a lot of pay, but with guaranteed uncertainty?

   So, ponder these things as you sign petitions to protect your 5 day, essentially-free, BWCA vacation, driving on roads that we pay for, while being protected by emergency services that we pay for, and stopping in stores that we pay for. Your $100 spent in Ely stores isn't going to float them through the winter, but your support of twin cities opposition to everything happening in Ely is certainly going to hurt all of us here in the long run. Maybe we should all sign a petition to have your company shut down. I hear working 3 part time jobs, like many do in Ely, is loads of fun but it significantly cuts into one's vacation time.

    Despite what the "environmental" detractors are spewing, we can have clean water and an underground mine located 3,000 to 4,000 feet underground. I bet you didn't know that it is not going to be an open pit but instead an underground mine.

    We are in the year 2013, not the Dark Ages. The locals up here actually like being here far more than you. We've committed a lifetime here while eeking out a living when we could have just as easily moved to some metro area for better pay. Your signing a petition against our support of the project says to me that you somehow know more and have greater concern for our backyard that you visit once a year. That's shortsighted on your part and rather insulting to all the people here who mined the very same rock for 88 years prior to the inception of the BWCA in 1964. Ironically, the BWCA was chosen (after 88 years of virtually unchecked-by-government mining) to be named a federally-designated wilderness due to it's pristine waters. Now, how was that even possible? The same rock?

Hopefully, this letter will enlighten you somewhat. I'm not expecting much given the twin cities crowd and their blatant disregard of current BWCA laws while rabidly supporting something they know nothing about. It's always about their good time and ignore the rest of the world. Nonetheless, I thought I'd give it a try with you.

Joe Baltich

Northwind Lodge - Ely

Saturday, August 24, 2013

Polymet’s Permit To Mine Requirements

Did You Know?

PolyMet’s Permit to Mine requires that there will always be sufficient funds available to the Minnesota DNR for two main activities: reclaiming the project site after closure, as well as monitoring and maintaining the site to comply with the permit. These financial assurance requirements are mandated by the Minnesota Administrative Rules Chapter 6132, governing nonferrous mining operations, and Minnesota Statutes Chapter 93, governing mineral lands. We must submit updated closure reclamation and corrective action plans each year as part of our annual report to the Minnesota DNR.

More Information Available here:

http://northeastrange.wordpress.com/2013/08/24/polymets-permit-to-mine-requirements/

Copper Education - Minnesota And Flambeau Comparisons, Ore Sulfide Bodies

Copper Education - Minnesota And Flambeau Comparisons, Ore Sulfide Bodies

What is Copper?

Native copper is an element and a mineral. It is found in the oxidized zones of copper deposits; in hydrothermal veins; in the cavities of basalt that has been in contact with hydrothermal solutions; and as pore fillings and replacements in conglomerates that have been in contact with hydrothermal solutions. It is rarely found in large quantities, thus it is seldom the primary target of a mining operation. Most copper produced is extracted from sulfide deposits.

http://geology.com/minerals/copper.shtml

An Overview of Cu-Ni Deposits inMinnesota: A Geological Perspective
Jim Miller
Department of Geological Sciences
Precambrian Research Center
University of Minnesota Duluth

http://www.lvpmn.org/_site_components/documents/user/DC%20Min_LVPmtg_5-13-13.pdf

Observed Results From The Flambeau Copper Mine - It has been done before safely.

Results show consistent sulfate levels below Wild Rice Standard In Minnesota

Sulfur Levels Much Lower In Minnesota Ores.

Source:
Copper and Nickel Mining in Minnesota
University Of Minnesota - Duluth
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VQELZoL2yUo

Flambeau Reclaimed: A Success Story

http://www.flambeaumine.com/

http://blogs.wisconsinoutdoorfun.com/blogs/wof/wofnashblog/2012/09/21/reclaimed-flambeau-mine-nature-trails/

Thursday, July 11, 2013

Yard Sign | We Support Mining and Clean Water

New Mining Support Signs Are Available! Get your order in soon!

Yard signs will be available for purchase only until July 16.

Yard Sign | We Support Mining and Clean Water

Thursday, June 27, 2013

Pacesetter Basketball Camp In Babbitt, Minnesota: July 22 -24, 2013

Sunday, April 14, 2013

Betsy Daub On Copper Nickel Mining - "Friends Of The Boundary Waters" - "It's never been done before safely"

Commentary:

Perhaps this should have been titled: "It's About The Fundraising!"

According to Betsy Daub, copper nickel mining has never been done before safely. Perhaps it's time to start working with projects to make them better rather than worrying about fundraising and the "Friends" bottom line. We all promote minerals mining when we pick up our phone, buy a car, wire our house or have any other modern day appliance. To think otherwise is hypocritical Betsy. Have a look at the links below, someone is barking up the wrong tree on this one once again.

"These types of mines have always polluted their nearby waters. Every place they've been done in the country. These are high risk polluting mines that we are now talking about putting near places that Minnesotans care a whole lot about."
Betsy Daub: Friends the Boundary Waters Wilderness, Copper Nickel Mining Discussion, April 9, 2013.
____________________________
Research the information below for yourself, one might conclude it is all about fundraising and not modern day reality in mining. This project was reclaimed successfully.

JUDGE FINDS FLAMBEAU MINING CO.
COMMITTED TO “PROTECTION OF THE ENVIRONMENT AND PRESERVATION OF WATER QUALITY”

Contrary to public statements made by the plaintiffs,
Judge Crabb found that no harm was done to the Flambeau River. She stated “Plaintiffs cannot make a plausible argument that the quality of the water in the river is affected by the discharges from the biofilter. They can continue to enjoy the river for fishing, recreation and wildlife viewing without any concern for the river’s water quality resulting from biofilter discharges, not only because the biofilter is being replaced but because it never threatened the river’s water quality during the period at issue in this suit.”

http://www.flambeaumine.com/documents/news_releases/JUDGE%20FINDING%20News%20Release%20July%2025%202012.pdf

http://dnr.wi.gov/topic/Mines/Flambeau.html

Reclaimed Mine Photos:

http://www.flambeaumine.com/photogallery/communityevents/photogallery.html

http://www.flambeaumine.com/index.html

Saturday, March 30, 2013

Mining And Environmental Groups Need To Partner - Nancy McReady

Our communities around the Boundary Waters are dying, or at best hanging on with life support. As proof, look at the empty storefronts, decreased school enrollments, decaying buildings and infrastructure due to a low tax base. We need good paying jobs and young families on the Iron Range.

Wouldn’t it be great if so-called environmental groups worked with mining companies to bring good paying jobs to the Iron Range rather than working against them?

Out in Montana, three local environmental groups have signed an agreement to work out their differences in the open and also apply strict environmental practices to the mining operation in North Stillwater. They have recently celebrated the tenth anniversary of the Stillwater Good Neighbor Agreement that keeps disputes out of the courts while protecting Montana’s watersheds.

There is a similar alliance in Pennsylvania between gas and oil companies working together with national and regional environmental groups to create tough new standards for fracking.

This agreement has been criticized by the Sierra Club and other environmental groups. Yet the Sierra Club and other environmental groups have no problem partnering with labor unions with the BlueGreen Alliance.

In Minnesota, the BlueGreen Alliance is working to expand solar capacity and retrofit public schools, libraries and state-owned buildings, all with a goal of improving the state's competitiveness and creating good Minnesota jobs. But what are they doing to help taconite plants or to move the precious metal mining forward? Nothing!

No one denies tourism is good for Minnesota, and the Boundary Waters is a big reason why. But, tourism isn't enough to provide good paying jobs to support a family.

Mining is very important to northeastern Minnesota, too. Environmental groups would be wise to work with the mining companies to assure all mining is done safely and protects the Boundary Waters rather than constantly delaying mining project by going to the courts. With new technology, we can mine responsibly and protect our environment.

Monday, March 18, 2013

Precious Waters - Friends of the Boundary Waters Director lacking knowledge and workable solutions.

Excellent article in the Ely Echo analyzing Friends Of The Boundary Waters Director Reid Carron's recent letter to the editor in the Ely Echo.

LETTER: ... As long as the population of the world continues to grow, so does the demand for raw materials

http://www.elyecho.com/main.asp?FromHome=1&TypeID=1&ArticleID=12599&SectionID=17&SubSectionID=34

Wednesday, March 13, 2013

The Important Of Minnesota Mining

The challenge for this region and state is to continue to educate other individuals as to the reality of current advanced mining technologies and potential economic improvement for this region in addition to a service and tourism based economy. It is an all of the above approach economy. Mining will be done in an environmentally safe and sustainable manner. It will take time and work in many media oulets to educate towards this reality but it can be done at a grassroots level. It is one way to educate beyond the misinformation readily distributed in an organized media campaign by extremist and alarmist groups. We all use the products produced from minerals mining. Common examples of this are the computer, cell phones and motor vehicles among a few. To think that we do not need mining is at best hypocritical. It is a not in my back yard approach by some. We can best oversee environmental stewardship with the multiple checks and regulatory environment that exist already. This often does not occur in other countries so indeed we are being responsible globally by mining here.

Full Article Here:
http://northeastrange.wordpress.com/2013/03/13/letter-to-the-editor-the-important-of-minnesota-mining/

Thursday, January 03, 2013

Spectrum Health Open House

IRRRB Photos from the Spectrum Health Open House in Babbitt, Minnesota.
https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.398869010189482.92498.104959586247094&type=1

Babbitt, Minnesota

Friday, December 13, 2013

Responsible Minnesota Mining Resource Listing

Want to learn more about mining and cut through the usual misinformation floating around out there at the environmental activist sites?

Here is a starting place of resources to begin with.

We Support Minnesota Mining Resource Listing

Wednesday, August 28, 2013

Letter To The Editor: Joe Baltich discussing the BWCA,economy, tourism and mining.

Saturday, August 24, 2013

Polymet’s Permit To Mine Requirements

Copper Education - Minnesota And Flambeau Comparisons, Ore Sulfide Bodies

Thursday, July 11, 2013

Yard Sign | We Support Mining and Clean Water

Thursday, June 27, 2013

Pacesetter Basketball Camp In Babbitt, Minnesota: July 22 -24, 2013

Sunday, April 14, 2013

Betsy Daub On Copper Nickel Mining - "Friends Of The Boundary Waters" - "It's never been done before safely"

Saturday, March 30, 2013

Mining And Environmental Groups Need To Partner - Nancy McReady

Monday, March 18, 2013

Precious Waters - Friends of the Boundary Waters Director lacking knowledge and workable solutions.

Wednesday, March 13, 2013

The Important Of Minnesota Mining

Thursday, January 03, 2013

Spectrum Health Open House

Babbitt Minnesota Web Sites

Northeast Range Nighthawks School News

We Support Mining!

Minnesota.com

CONSERVATIONISTS WITH COMMON SENSE

Blog Archive

National Weather Service - 7 Day Forecast

Local Stock Quotes

Mesabi Daily News - sports/high school,