A gold rush of sorts is occurring in northeastern Minnesota—and Frank Ongaro’s job is to ensure that nothing stops it. If he’s successful, six mining companies could soon begin to extract 4 billion tons of iron, copper, nickel, palladium, platinum, gold, and titanium from the Duluth Complex area on the Mesabi Iron Range.
The Minnesota Exploration Association, whose membership comprises mining and exploration companies, land owners, and industry suppliers, hired Ongaro last fall to be the executive director of the MiningMinnesota Initiative, a campaign based in Duluth that’s geared toward educating the public and lawmakers about new mining technologies.
“Our goal is to show the state of Minnesota that this new form of mining can be done in an environmentally responsible manner and provide significant economic benefit to the state in the process,” Ongaro says. Estimates of those benefits are elusive, but Ongaro says that at least 800 permanent jobs could be created, along with up to 1,600 vendor and supplier positions if the first two mining projects, spearheaded by Vancouver-based PolyMet Mining and Washington-based Franconia Minerals, move ahead. The state also would receive mining royalties on any state land that is mined; by law, those funds would be funneled into the state’s school trust fund and the permanent university fund.
Nonferrous mining companies could face opposition from environmental groups that oppose both opening new pit mines and the pollution generated when precious metals are extracted from ore. Ongaro hopes to win them over by convincing them that technological advances allow the metals to be extracted in an environmentally responsible way, and that opening new pit mines isn’t a concern because the new mines will be located near already mined sites or placed underground. What’s more, Ongaro says, the companies will need to show that they can meet or exceed the standards set by the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency for air and water emissions as well as mining permit regulations set by the Department of Natural Resources.
Ongaro, a registered lobbyist, knows the ins and outs of both state government and mining. The Hibbing native served in Governor Rudy Perpich’s administration as a legislative aide and an assistant to the commissioner of the old Department of Industry and Labor. He later was president of the Iron Mining Association of Minnesota.
“Minnesota is one of the most restrictive regulatory environments—and that’s good, because it preserves the natural resources we all hold so dear,” Ongaro says. His top challenge: Ward off more restrictive legislation so that the gold rush can begin.
