DFL environmental activists kill Huber Engineered Woods project

When it comes to killing blue-collar middle-class jobs, the DFL's environmental activists are unrivaled. The DFL loves talking about jobs. That's a façade. In the end, the DFL hates employers far more than they love the jobs employers create. The Center for the American Experiment published John Phelan's article about how the DFL, through one of its front groups, killed a $440,000,000 project here in Minnesota. The project will happen. It just won't happen in Cohasset, MN, as previously planned.

Phelan didn't bury the lede, opening his article by saying "Back in 2021, Huber Engineered Woods, a North Carolina company, announced a $440 million operation in northeastern Minnesota. It would have brought 150 new, high-paying jobs to southwest Itasca County, and the state quickly approved $15 million in public funds to assist Huber in its construction of the facility. Last week, Huber announced that they were pulling the project."

This is what happened:

The city of Cohasset prepared the required environmental-assessment worksheet (EAW) in relation to the planned facility, but decided that it was not necessary to prepare a more detailed environmental-impact statement (EIS). These are required in Minnesota when a project will negatively affect public wetlands, which is what the Leech Lake Band of Ojibwe argued when they initiated legal proceedings to halt the project. Last week the state Court of Appeals sided with the Leech Lake Band of Ojibwe, finding that “The city’s determination that an EIS was not mandatory under governing administrative rules is based on legal error and unsupported by substantial evidence.”

Most likely, the Leech Lake Band of Ojibwe wanted a payoff. Here's why that didn't happen:

"Due to delays that jeopardize our ability to meet product demand deadlines, we will pursue development of our sixth mill in another state," Huber Engineered Woods President Brian Carlson said in a statement.

"We will be seeking a new location where we can produce critical home building products that are desired by American home builders and homeowners in a timely manner and consistent with Huber’s environmental and social commitments."

Reacting to Huber’s announcement Thursday on Twitter, state Rep. Spencer Igo said "I am devastated and beyond frustrated. One of the largest private investments to our state in its history is gone, taking with it jobs and more. Once again, Northern MN loses because of negligence by our State and activism. Enough is enough! This must stop!"

Commissioner of Iron Range Resources and Rehabilitation Ida Rukavina said, "Our agency invested extensive time, energy and resources to bring this project to fruition. We are extremely disappointed that these high-paying, quality jobs will not be coming to our region. Our agency was eagerly looking forward to welcoming Huber to our manufacturing economy, and the positive impacts the new facility could have had on the region’s timber and construction trades industries."

Once again, Minnesota loses because one of the DFL's special interest allies tried squeezing blood out of a turnip. The tribe likely thought that they could extract a payment from Huber. Instead of paying the ransom, Huber moved onto greener pastures. This video shows the confrontation waged by the special interests, along with comments after the meeting:

AFter the vote, someone in the crowd said "I hope you're proud of yourself." The Council President replied "I am."

After the meeting, Jaime Konopacky, the Legal Honor Counsel Honor the Earth, said this:

This should have started as an environmental impact statement from the start. This should have started with tribal consultation from the start. Neither of those things happened. That is the fault of the Walz administration. It is the fault of the Minnesota legislature. And it is the fault of the city of Cohasset. This hearing has exemplified and exacerbated systemic racism, which I believe is eroding the state of Minnesota from the inside out. Nobody in this state has the right to take eagles' nests. Nobody in this state has the right to kill wetlands. Nobody in this state has the right to pollute the air and kill the wild rice beds. Nobody in this state has the right to harm wolves. Nobody in this state has the right to take millions of acres of timber. Nobody has the right to threaten the environment and human health. We asked for a fair and public conversation. We were promised a fair and public conversation. And that is the opposite of what happened here tonight.

First, this wasn't a hearing. It was a meeting. People were allowed to submit their statements prior to the meeting. Further, Honor the Earth didn't just want to hold a hearing. They wanted to stage an ambush. That's one of their tactics.

Next, Honor the Earth is said this:

The era of pipelines is over. Learn more about our fight against the continued expansion of fossil fuel infrastructure on our homelands.

That sounds pretty absolutist. It's as if they'd reached that conclusion before investigating. Then again, who needs an investigation when your mind is this absolutist? If Honor the Earth's opinion was predetermined, who needs an EIS?

That's how you kill industry in Minnesota.