Range Legislators Introduce “Minnesota Miners Relief Act”

St. Paul, Minn.– It’s been less than two weeks since Cleveland-Cliffs announced the temporary closures of the Minorca Mine in Virginia and Hibbing Taconite.

Following this, there’s an urgent plea to extend unemployment benefits for the nearly 600 miners who are laid off.

The steelworker’s union and state lawmakers from the Iron Range calling for the passage of the “Minnesota Miners Relief Act.”

The legislation would extend unemployment benefits to laid-off miners until June 19th of 2026.

Some of the people affected by the shut-down mines fear the layoffs will last past the end of the year… when current unemployment benefits are set to expire.

“The reason the unemployment is so important is because that factors of when we could potentially come back. They say temporary indefinitely, if we don’t come back to start pumping the pits in October there’s not a chance for us to come back until this time next year at the earliest so that’s a year. And that’s a big if, especially with the steel economy with the way it is, where Cleveland Cliffs has positioned itself,” explained Al King, President of United Steelworkers Local 615.

The “Minnesota Miners Relief Act” also has two provisions related to environmental impacts of mining.

One would clarify rules for reactive mine waste, which supporters said would address vague language that has led to legal challenges and project delays.

“The third part of this act includes provision on safe storage of reactive mine waste. Which I know sounds like a very scary term but it’s actually the contrary. The provision of the bill sets scientific standards so that our miners and our companies know exactly what I need to do to protect water and protect the environment, and mine the critical minerals needed for the future of tomorrow,” said Representative Spencer Igo, House District 7A.