I was extremely disappointed with the incredibly biased headline used for an Aug. 15 article in the News Tribune about metals mining. It read, “EPA lauds PolyMet environmental review.” “Laud” means to “praise” or “applaud” or “glorify.” Nowhere in the article did it state the EPA even “approved” of PolyMet’s plan to begin mining, let alone praise it. The article did state, “Alan Walts, the agency’s director of Enforcement and Compliance Assurance, stopped short of endorsing the mining project.” That means questions still remain about the reliability of PolyMet’s ability to clean up the pollution to our land and water that practically is guaranteed to happen.
I’m afraid misinformation from our local media is going to allow this potentially poisonous and destructive project to happen — to the detriment of our water, land and quality of life. I urge people to speak out if they, too, see the danger of allowing copper-nickel-sulfite mining to take place in our region. This mine is not needed. It will not benefit the majority of us. Most of the profits and metals will leave not only our state but also our country. To allow this kind of mining to proceed is extremely shortsighted and disastrous for ourselves and for future generations.