Breaking: Judge denies injunction on Nashwauk leases, Minnesota can move ahead with Cliffs

Jerry here:

The famed Nashwauk leases are headed to Minnesota Executive Council after all.

A Delaware bankruptcy court judge denied a proposed injunction by Mesabi Metallics that would have blocked the state from award Cleveland-Cliffs, or anyone in fact, more than two dozen mineral leases at the former Butler Taconite.

That Executive Council meeting is set for 10 a.m. Thursday in St. Paul and could finally draw the Nashwauk drama to a close.

I’ve covered this story long enough that I wouldn’t count out the unexpected. Itasca County wants the state to split the leases, the state appears to be over dealing with Mesabi and Essar Group and you can be the Cliffs lobbying arms will be in full force for the next 36+ or so hours.

A fellow reporter told me this feels like 2018/2019 where it was a Mesabi story seemingly every day, and it does. Also feels similar to 2016 when I was reporting on the initial lease termination effort, the 11th hour bankruptcy and some big dynamic swings with Iron Range politicians, Cliffs and the state.

All that seems to be water under the bridge right now. There are no local lawmakers left in office from 2016 and going back to 2018, only Dave Lislegard remains, and he’s been solidly Team Cliffs since then. There’s also been the transition from Gov. Mark Dayton to Gov. Tim Walz.

Cliffs CEO Lourenco Goncalves and the Ruia family of Essar seem to be only constants. Hell, even I took a hiatus from reporting on this.

I’m not sure who is scheduled to speak Thursday but it could be action packed and a little (a lot?) mud slingy, if Tuesday’s court hearing was any indication. We’ll see.

Anyways, I’m heading to St. Paul on Thursday, so tune into my Twitter @JerryBurnes for updates, and stick to Iron Range Today’s website and this newsletter for the full story once we know.