The Biden Administration is launching a review that could ultimately block a mining company from constructing a copper-nickel mine just miles from Minnesota’s Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness.
The U.S Department of the Interior Department will look at an application from the U.S. Forest Service regarding a 20-year mining ban on more than 200,000 acres of national forest land just south of the Boundary Waters.
Federal agencies will conduct the study of potential impacts to natural and cultural resources that could take up to two years, and while that is happening any new mining activity is prohibited.
Twin Metals Minnesota, a subsidiary of Chilean mining company Antofagasta, has a pair of leases in the area they have held since 1966. The mine they planned in the BWCA area comes with a $1.7 Billion price tag.
President Barack Obama’s administration, just weeks before he left office, revoked Twin Metals’ leases saying they were concerned the mine could spoil the wilderness and harm the area’s outdoor recreation industry. They then ordered a similar review of potential environmental impacts.
The Trump administration quickly revived the project, ending the Obama-era study and renewing Twin Metals’ leases in May of 2019.
Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack said in a release, “The Boundary Waters area is an irreplaceable natural resource renowned for high quality fishing, wildlife viewing and recreational opportunities. I have asked the Forest Service to work with the Bureau of Land Management to complete a careful environmental analysis and engage the public on whether future mining should be authorized on any federal land adjacent to this spectacular and unique wilderness resource.”
Secretary of the Interior Deb Haaland added, “A place like the Boundary Waters should be enjoyed by and protected for everyone, not only today but for future generations. 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.”
“Twin Metals Minnesota is deeply disappointed with the federal government’s action to initiate a mineral withdrawal study yet again on nearly 230,000 acres of land in northeast Minnesota, which sits on top of the world’s largest known undeveloped copper-nickel deposit,” Twin Metals says in a press release. “We are working to determine the best path forward to continue advancing our proposed world-class underground copper, nickel, cobalt and platinum group metals mine. We are firmly dedicated to the communities of northeast Minnesota and to advancing a sustainable mining project that will bring much-needed economic growth to our region, in addition to the opportunity to responsibly develop the critical minerals needed for our global efforts in combatting the climate crisis. Twin Metals’ mineral rights span 11 presidential administrations, and we remain steadfast in upholding those rights and advancing our model mining project.”
Twin Metals says the mine project will bring more than 750 direct full-time jobs and 1,500 new spinoff jobs to the residents of northeast Minnesota.
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