Cravaack Hopes For Roundtable On PolyMet Project

DULUTH, Minn. (AP) -- New Minnesota congressman Chip Cravaack says he's planning a closed-door roundtable meeting soon with top state and federal regulators to try to push forward on the state's first copper mine.

Cravaack tells the Duluth News Tribune in an interview that he isn't trying to circumvent environmental reviews for the PolyMet Mining Co. project near Hoyt Lakes. He says he just wants to "act as a facilitator" for a project that would bring jobs.

Cravaack says he'd like the meeting to include tribal officials as well as PolyMet and Gov. Mark Dayton or a Dayton aide.

Cravaack promised during his campaign to help the PolyMet project as well as another precious metals mine in the works near Ely.

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