It is reported that the future of Minnesota's largest ever industrial development is in the hands of three state Appeals Court judges. As per report, environmental groups want the judges to order state Department of Natural Resources officials to take a closer look at how Essar Steel Minnesota's planned USD 1.65 billion taconite mine and steel plant would affect global warming.
The project near Nashwauk is due to begin producing steel slabs by 2014. It will employ 500 people and state officials have compared its economic impact to Bloomington's Mall of America. Up to 2,000 workers will be needed to construct the facilities.
The Minnesota Center for Environmental Advocacy, supported by Fresh Energy, contend the DNR did not adequately consider how much greenhouse gas the new operation would produce. The DNR said it did all that it could to consider the global warming impact produced by the gas before it approved an environmental impact statement that opened the door to state and federal construction permits.
Mr Tom Overton assistant attorney general representing DNR told the three appeals judges during a brief hearing that "The agency always could have done something more." He added that there could be no end to such a study.
Mr Scott Strand, representing the environmentalists, told the judges that they should order DNR to look into global warming. He added that "A large environmental impact was ignored all together."
Mr Thaddeus Lightfoot, Essar's attorney, told the judges that they do not have legal authority to revoke state and federal permits already issued to open the mine and build the steel plant.
The environmental group claimed the DNR's environmental impact statement did not take into account the added electricity that would be needed to run the mining and steel-making operation.
Mr Overton said that "DNR took a hard look at the issues and did the best it could to include global warming impacts in its 1,000 page report. They did use the best information that they had."
While judges wondered how the DNR was supposed to figure the global warming impact, Mr Strand said that the agency needs to do their best projection of what science will allow.
(Sourced from www.duluthnewstribune.com)
