Dayton Supports PolyMet Project

ST. PAUL, Minn. (AP) — Minnesota Gov. Mark Dayton says he's moved from being "genuinely undecided" on the proposed PolyMet copper-nickel mine to being a genuine supporter of the project.

Dayton tells the St. Paul Pioneer Press nothing of that magnitude is risk free, but he thinks it's a risk worth taking. However, he adds, PolyMet still must meet the environmental permitting requirements. And he says he won't interfere with state agency decisions on those permits.

Many Iron Range residents back PolyMet because it promises 360 permanent jobs in the Hoyt Lakes-Babbitt area and a revitalized mining industry. But environmentalists say it could lead to environmental disaster.

Dayton says he's not as comfortable with another proposed copper-nickel mine, Twin Metals near Ely, because it's in a watershed that flows into the Boundary Waters Canoe Area.