Regarding Upstate NY, the externalities to consider from mining are a lot more than the very narrow take this article provides (electricity costs go up!). I ge

Regarding Upstate NY, the externalities to consider from mining are a lot more than the very narrow take this article provides (electricity costs go up!). I get that the article is about electricity, and not the industry's general impact on a region when it comes in. That said, who has been to the North Country lately, i.e. really deep up there where these mines are? For those unaware, the jobs are basically: - Dannemora prison - One or two small colleges - light tourism: the seasonal jobs around Lake Placid, niche interest in the 1,000 islands, - some logging, but most of that area is a state park - Closer, but not in commuting distance: Ft Drum, a dying dairy industry closer to Utica It remains to be seen how many jobs come from an industry growing up there. But reading this, from Booth of all places, is sort of like saying electric costs have gone up in the Rust Belt because the first new industry in decades is moved there. NY fought tooth and nail to get Ft. Drum into Watertown/North Country in the 80's for a very good reason - that area is dying. This is also putting aside that these mines are in dilapidated power plants (fighting the extensive rural (?) blight up there) and pulling ~green energy from the St. Lawrence.