In August, Julie Lucas became the new head of MiningMinnesota, the Virginia-based trade organization for the nonferrous mining industry. Though projects to mine metals such as copper and nickel in northeastern Minnesota have been moving slowly through the approval process, Lucas aims to convince Minnesotans that such projects, however controversial, are crucial. “My hope is to explain the environmental review and permitting process and the scrutiny that projects go through,” says Lucas, a former environmental manager and water resources director for mining and mineral development companies. She’ll also emphasize how Minnesota metals can be used in electric vehicles and renewable energy.

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