Readers Write: PolyMet mine, state pensions, Minneapolis parking, Canadian drugs, driving laws, energy

No matter how many negative stories come out relative to the whole issue of PolyMet-Glencore and the incredible damage their mining operations may inflict on the waters and environment of Lake Superior, we only get silence from Gov. Tim Walz, Attorney General Keith Ellison and our legislative leaders. They refuse explanations as well as public hearings. Well, there maybe is a solution.

Since they adamantly refuse to conduct a health study to determine levels of arsenic, mercury and other poisons in the waters emanating from the sulfide mining operation and argue that those levels would be perfectly safe for the tribes and people of Duluth, why not have our leaders drink that same water? A pipeline to the Capitol and the governor's residence would solve that.

Had this been done in Michigan, the water tragedy of Flint probably would not have occurred.

The writer was governor of Minnesota from 1991-1999.

While Democrats rightly call out the rampant corruption in the Trump administration, they also need to take a long look in the mirror here in Minnesota. It appears that while the state is pretending to want to protect our environment here in Northeastern Minnesota, it is investing in foreign companies poised to pollute two major watersheds, Lake Superior and the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness, which the state regulates ("Conflicts of interest in state pensions?," Aug. 2). On the heels of the scandal over the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency sweeping Environmental Protection Agency objections to PolyMet's permit, and silence by DFL leaders concerning such corruption, comes news that the state seeks to profit from it rather than protect its citizens.

I suggest Gov. Tim Walz, our senators and others get off their high horses and stop looking the other way at corruption that threatens our farms and our neighbors. If they want to cry about dishonesty in government and special interests, then try being honest — it sells better.

Occasionally, I need to park and work in the North Loop of Minneapolis. Sometimes, it involves having to drive my car. I dread trying to find parking. It's one of the reasons that I recently purchased a comfortable, spiffy new bike for commuting around the city for both fun and work. Recently, I rode my bike to the North Loop for work and was dismayed to find that the parking situation for bikes is as bad as it is for cars. There are precious few bike racks, so most people appear to lock their bikes to the few street signs that look secure.

President Donald Trump seems to believe that government regulations and price controls are anti-free-market, socialistic and maybe even anti-American. Isn't it ironic, one might even say hypocritical, that when Trump seeks to deal with the exorbitant cost of prescription medications that our unfettered free market system has given us, he proposes importing drugs from Canada? ("Plan OKs import of drugs to ease costs," Aug. 1.)

Canada's government does the following: limits how much pharmaceutical manufactures can charge for prescription drugs when approved and caps subsequent price increases, negotiates bulk discounts, and prohibits direct-to-consumer marketing of drugs, like many other countries in the world.

Canada is a country that views health care as a right, not a privilege, and uses regulations to make sure prescription prices are affordable for all its citizens.

I was delighted to read "New phone law brings a flurry of tickets" (front page, Aug. 2). Despite all efforts to inform the public regarding the penalties for holding a cell phone while driving, some people continue to operate as if they are above the law.

Now, if only the law enforcement professionals would be as diligent and vigorous in dealing with those who don't fully stop before turning right at a red light, or who speed up in order to drive through yellow-turned-red stoplights, or who flagrantly speed 10-plus miles over the limit on city streets, then we might be able to successfully change behaviors among those scofflaws who constantly put others in harm's way on the road because of their illegal and thoughtless driving habits.

In response to "Fossil-fuel projects will hit our wallets" (July 29): Balancing the demands of a growing economy with the reality of a changing climate is a challenge defining the American energy future. Thankfully, homegrown natural gas and oil production enables the U.S. to provide affordable, reliable and cleaner-burning fuels for consumers, demonstrating that economic and environmental progress can be more compatible than competitive.

Because independent projections indicate that natural gas and oil will provide more than half of growing global energy needs in 2050, the "keep it in the ground" approach presents an unrealistic impasse. Instead, by championing natural gas and oil alongside the growth of renewables, our industry is already charting a course toward a more sustainable future energy mix.

According to the International Energy Agency, coal-to-natural-gas switching has saved about 500 million tons of carbon dioxide globally since 2010, reducing emissions in the U.S. to their lowest levels in a generation. Industry-led initiatives like The Environmental Partnership are further improving the sustainability of operations by driving down methane emissions, even as production skyrockets in basins across the country.

And it's modern infrastructure like Enbridge Line 3 that transports energy to consumers in the safest and cleanest way possible, while also creating jobs and generating millions in tax revenue. Pipelines ensure access to fuels and prevent supply bottlenecks — like those impacting the northeast U.S. — which could shock Minnesota residents, especially during high-demand winter months.

By advancing technological innovation and sustainable infrastructure development, our industry is creating a comprehensive energy solution for Minnesotans — one that works for both the economy and the environment.