Despite pushback from critics who said it was fast-tracked and lacked public input, state lawmakers have approved $1.4 billion in tax breaks for a new steel mill in Lee County, along the Mississippi River.
Lawmakers and the governor contended the facility will be a huge economic driver and provide job training opportunities. The Mesabi Metallics steel mill has been called the largest in the U.S. and among the largest in the world by President Donald Trump. It is projected to produce 7.5 million tons of steel a year and create more than 1,700 permanent jobs paying close to $50 an hour, according to Trump.
Jennifer Breon, senior organizer for the advocacy group Food and Water Watch, said the numbers belie the environmental damage the mill could cause in Iowa, where the number of new cancer cases is among the nation’s highest…