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Senate Republicans send Trump resolution to lift mining ban near Boundary Waters Canoe Area
The resolution would reopen more than 225,000 acres to sulfide-ore mining and could clear the way for Twin Metals, supporters said.
- On Thursday, the U.S. Senate passed House Joint Resolution 140 by a 50-49 margin, overturning a 20-year mining moratorium near the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness; the measure now heads to President Donald Trump for his signature.
- Congressional Republicans utilized the Congressional Review Act to overturn the Biden administration's 2023 mineral withdrawal, arguing officials failed to properly notify Congress of the decision protecting more than 225,000 acres in the Superior National Forest.
- Twin Metals Minnesota proponents argue the development will create jobs, though opponents caution that mining could result in significant pollution in the downstream watershed supporting an estimated $16 billion recreation-based economy.
- Democratic Senator Tina Smith of Minnesota criticized the vote, warning it sets "a dangerous precedent that would affect every state in our country" by allowing Congress to override public land protections.
- Despite the resolution's passage, Twin Metals still requires numerous state and federal permits before operations can begin, and environmental groups may challenge future approvals in court, potentially delaying development for years.
84 Articles
84 Articles
Pine Journal
Grand Forks HeraldFederal mining ban repeal draws mixed reactions from Minnesota lawmakers
ST. PAUL — State lawmakers had a mixed response to the federal mining ban repeal, with some celebrating and others teary-eyed at the Capitol Thursday afternoon. The U.S. Senate narrowly passed a repeal of the Joe Biden-era mining moratorium on federal land within the Superior National Forest and Rainy River Watershed on Thursday, April 16. The action renewed a push for some Democrats to put in place state protections and accountability, while Re…
'That right there is chaos': Legal expert warns of GOP-caused forest service collapse
Congress’ move to allow mining in a national forest near a wilderness area may have broad ramifications across the country.The U.S. Senate voted Thursday to overturn a mining ban in Minnesota’s Superior National Forest, the headwaters of the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness.By using an obscure tool known as the Congressional Review Act to open the national forest for mining, lawmakers have called into question the validity of every manageme…
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