Several new mining projects made significant headway in 2007.
Here's Chris Buckley with the details.
As our Partners from the Mesabi Daily news report, the Minnesota Steel project set to be built near Nashwauk, had all permits approved last year.
The closing was approved in October, and construction is set to begin... it's expected to create 2-thousand construction jobs and 700 permanent jobs in the area.
Mesabi Nugget, which is scheduled to start production in 2009, has already started construction at their site north of Hoyt Lakes.
Local trade unions signed a project labor agreement with the company in December... and the project is expected to create 500 construction jobs and 50 permanent ones.
On the non-ferrous side, Polymet Mining, which will mine copper, nickel and platinum at the old LTV steel site in Hoyt lakes, is awaiting their draft environmental impact statement in the first quarter of this year.
Trade union officials signed a project labor agreement last August, and the company has been preparing for construction.
It's estimated to create 400 permanent jobs.
And Franconia minerals, which has been drilling on Birch Lake this year, will continue exploratory drilling at it's Maturi site next year.
The company has taken and analyzed thousands of core samples in the area... they estimate 200 tons of copper, nickel, platinum, and gold.
A feasibility study is expected in 2009 and construction could begin in 2010 if all permits are approved.
The underground mine would create 2-thousand construction jobs and 550 permanent jobs in the area.
The hope is to have it up and running by 2011.
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