On Wednesday, the Biden administration dealt a significant blow to the proposed copper mine just upstream from the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness, the latest in its long history of controversy.
The watershed that feeds the most-visited wilderness area in the United States will not be the site of a major copper mine — at least for now.
For most of the last decade, Chilean-owned Twin Metals has lobbied to renew certain mining leases outside the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness (BWCAW). But after a lengthy federal review, the Department of Agriculture and the Department of the Interior filed an application for a “mineral withdrawal” in the area.
As of its acceptance by the Bureau of Land Management (BLM), the application will initiate a 2-year environmental review by the BLM and the U.S. Forest Service (USFS).
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The directive will prohibit any new mining permits or leases in the area for 2 years (including Twin Metals’). And depending on the results of the BLM’s review, it could ban mining in the area for 20 years.
“A place like the Boundary Waters should be enjoyed by and protected for everyone, not only today but for future generations,” Interior Secretary Deb Haaland said.
“Today, the Biden Administration is taking an important and sensible step to ensure that we have all the science and the public input necessary to make informed decisions about how mining activities may impact this special place.”
Mine Shafted: Twin Metals’ Legal Challenges
The proposed $1.7 billion underground mine would be built along the shore of Birch Lake, some 7 miles southeast of Ely, Minn. The USFS review will focus on that location, just upstream of the BWCAW.
Notably, the order will not halt all mining in the area — activity will continue nearby on existing, valid leases.
Twin Metals claimed that its design would keep the watershed safe from acid drainage and other forms of pollution. But environmentalists disputed the claims, and advocacy groups like Campaign to Save the Boundary Waters challenged the company in court.
The proposed mine would use sulfide-ore copper mining. According to CSBW, the method produces waste that leaches sulfuric acid, heavy metals, and sulfates into the surrounding air and water.
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A Half-Century of Controversy: Twin Metals and Mining in the Boundary Waters
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Copper Mine Ban Implications, Outlook
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