The Department of Safety and Inspections is trying to reduce that number by hiring more people and simplifying the permitting process. But as construction booms, St. Paul is trying to strike a balance between approving a growing stream of new permits and keeping tabs on old ones.
Steve Karnowski, Associated Press
Core sample drilled from underground rock near Ely, Minn., shows a band of shiny materials containing copper, nickel and precious metals that Tin Metals Minnesota LLC hopes to mine near the Boundary Waters Canoe Area.
The federal government's sudden decision to reopen mineral exploration just outside the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness was a resounding defeat for wilderness advocates. But for the mining industry, it means back to business as usual.