Opponents of copper-nickel mining say the bill won't go anywhere in Congress.
6:53 pm, Apr. 15, 2021
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U.S. Rep. Pete Stauber, R-Hermantown, speaks at the University of Wisconsin-Superior’s Lake Superior Research Institute in September. (2020 file / News Tribune)
Rep. Pete Stauber, R-Hermantown, introduced a bill that would speed up the federal permitting process for mining projects on federal land.
The bill would require permitting to finish within two and a half years, prevent "duplication" of work by federal agencies if it's already done by a state agency and set performance standards and other timelines to track permitting agencies
In a news release Thursday, Stauber said it targets "the most burdensome regulations that have delayed good mining projects for years." Two pro-mining organizations — National Mining Association and Mining Minnesota — expressed their support in the release.