Jess Richards, the newly appointed head of the division that oversees mining activities and regulation, comes to the position with eighteen years of experience working for the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency. There, he was most recently the assistant director of the Resource Management and Assistance Division. He also previously worked as the MPCA's mining sector manager, overseeing mining permits, environmental reviews, and related work, and as the MPCA's enforcement supervisor, and biofuels sector manager.
"Jess' deep understanding of the permitting process and the mining industry will be a major asset for the DNR," said DNR Commissioner Tom Landwehr.
The move comes as the DNR continues to deliberate over whether to allow a number of major expansions in the state's taconite mining and processing. Controversial plans to mine copper in northern Minnesota are also being considered, and the Division is involved in the management of the state's silica sand industry, which has seen recent expansion driven by the fracking industry's demand for the fine sand.
The Land and Minerals Division, with 100 employees and an annual budget around $10 million, is charged with managing mining permit applications to ensure operations are operated in accordance with state laws and environmentally sound practices. It also provides real estate leadership in managing 5.5 million acres of state-owned land.
The division was previously managed by Larry Kramka. Kramka has left the DNR for an environmental services position at Houston Engineering, a Twin Cities based company.
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