PolyMet hires former MPCA Commissioner
Brad Moore, a commissioner for the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency under Tim Pawlenty, has been hired to be a lobbyist for PolyMet Mining Corporation.
"I've been working with Brad during his tenure at Barr," PolyMet's vice president of public, governmental and environmental affraise said in a news release. "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."
Moore was commissioner of the MPCA from 2006-2008 under Tim Pawlenty. He also worked for the Department of Natural Resources before that.
PolyMet has been lobbying heavily to get approval to mine copper and nickel in northeastern Minnesota. The plan has been slowed down as state and federal officials question the environmental standards of the proposal.
Moore's most recent position was with Barr Engineering as Senior Advisor, Public and Governmental Affairs where he advised several companies, including PolyMet, on environmental strategy.
Moore's hire will again draw criticism from some state lawmakers who complain that legislators and commissioners are personally profiting from the so-called revolving door.
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