HOYT LAKES, MINNESOTA--(Marketwire
- Jan. 24, 2011) - PolyMet Mining Corp. (TSX:POM)(NYSE Amex:PLM)
("PolyMet" or the
"Company") announced today that it has appointed Bradley
(Brad) Moore as Executive Vice President, Environmental and
Governmental Affairs.
Mr. Moore has more than 25 years experience in environmental regulation
and review and is assuming overall responsibility for the Company's
effort to complete environmental review and obtain permits necessary
for construction and operation of the NorthMet
copper-nickel-precious metals project located in the established Mesabi
mining district in northeastern Minnesota.
Mr. Moore served as Commissioner of the Minnesota Pollution Control
Agency ("MPCA") from 2006 to 2008, and as Assistant
Commissioner for Operations of the Minnesota Department of Natural
Resources (MDNR) from January 1999 to August 2006. Prior to that, he
worked in leadership and policy analyst positions with the MDNR and the
Minnesota Department of Public Service (now the Department of Commerce).
In December 2008, Mr. Moore joined Barr Engineering as Senior Advisor,
Public and Governmental Affairs where he advised several companies,
including PolyMet, on environmental strategy.
Barr provides engineering services primarily in the upper Midwest, with
a strong focus on environmental engineering.
"I've been working with Brad during his tenure at Barr," said
LaTisha Gietzen, PolyMet's vice president of public, governmental
and environmental affairs. "His existing knowledge of the project
and the process mean that he can step in immediately to effectively
help the environmental review and permitting process move forward to
completion."
During his tenure at the MPCA, Mr. Moore led successful efforts to
negotiate a cleanup plan for industrial chemicals in the Twin Cities,
and ensured timely review and approval of a $1.5 billion project on the
Iron Range that will mine and process iron ore and produce steel. Mr.
Moore represented the MDNR at the state legislature, testifying before
legislative committees on budget, policy, and operations. During his
tenure at both MPCA and DNR, he worked closely with federal agencies
and NGOs on environmental and regulatory topics.
"Brad's broad and deep experience brings additional skills to our
leadership team, enhancing our capacity as we increase our efforts in
this final stage of environmental review," said PolyMet president and CEO, Joe Scipioni.
"His private and public sector expertise provides a unique
perspective that will be extremely valuable as we complete
environmental review and move into permitting our project."
"I am excited to join the PolyMet
team," Mr. Moore added. "PolyMet
offers an important opportunity to Minnesota and the United States. We
can provide essential minerals each of us uses every day and we can
demonstrate that non-ferrous mining can be done in a way that meets
Minnesota's high environmental standards."
About PolyMet
PolyMet Mining Corp. (www.polymetmining.com) is
a publicly-traded mine development company that controls 100% of the NorthMet copper-nickel-precious metals ore body
through a long-term lease and owns 100% of the Erie Plant, a large
processing facility located approximately six miles from the ore body
in the established mining district of the Mesabi Range in northeastern
Minnesota. PolyMet Mining Corp. has completed
its Definitive Feasibility Study and is seeking environmental and
operating permits to enable it to commence production. The NorthMet project is expected to require
approximately one and a half million hours of construction labor and
create 400 long-term jobs, a level of activity that will have a
significant multiplier effect in the local economy.
POLYMET MINING CORP.
Joe Scipioni, CEO
This news release contains certain forward-looking statements
concerning anticipated developments in PolyMet's
operations in the future. Forward-looking statements are frequently,
but not always, identified by words such as "expects",
"anticipates", "believes", "intends",
"estimates", "potential", "possible",
"projects", "plans", and similar expressions, or
statements that events, conditions or results "will",
"may", "could", or "should" occur or be
achieved or their negatives or other comparable words. These
forward-looking statements may include statements regarding our beliefs
related to the expected proceeds and closing of the registered direct
offering, exploration results and budgets, reserve estimates, mineral
resource estimates, work programs, capital expenditures, actions by
government authorities, including changes in government regulation, the
market price of natural resources, costs, or other statements that are
not a statement of fact. Forward-looking statements address future
events and conditions and therefore involve inherent risks and
uncertainties. Actual results may differ materially from those in the
forward-looking statements due to risks facing PolyMet
or due to actual facts differing from the assumptions underlying its
predictions. PolyMet's forward-looking
statements are based on the beliefs, expectations and opinions of
management on the date the statements are made, and PolyMet
does not assume any obligation to update forward-looking statements if
circumstances or management's beliefs, expectations and opinions should
change.
Specific reference is made to PolyMet's most
recent Annual Report on Form 20-F for the fiscal year ended January 31,
2010 and in our other filings with Canadian securities authorities and
the Securities and Exchange Commission, including our Report on Form
6-K providing information with respect to our operations for the nine
months ended October 31, 2010 for a discussion of some of the risk
factors and other considerations underlying forward-looking statements.
The TSX has not reviewed and does not accept responsibility for the
adequacy or accuracy of this release.
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