Minnesota governor signs order to stop any mining efforts in Boundary Waters wilderness
ELY, Minn. (AP) — Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz on Tuesday suspended state work on proposed mining projects in the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness, four months after Congress and President Donald Trump’s…
Minnesota Governor Tim Walz suspended state-sponsored mining activities within the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness on Tuesday, following the lifting of a federal ban in April by President Donald Trump and Congress. The 150-mile wilderness, nestled in the Superior National Forest along Minnesota's Canada border, attracts thousands of visitors annually.
Walz, a Democrat, emphasized their responsibility to preserve the wilderness's wild, pristine, and unharmed state. Twin Metals Minnesota LLC, a subsidiary of Chile-based Antofagasta Minerals, has been pursuing copper, nickel, and other precious metal mining in the area since 2019, claiming it can be done without storing waste rock above ground, thus eliminating potential acid sources.
The wilderness, located downstream from the proposed mine site, raises concerns about potential pollution from mining activities. Trump's resolution, approved by Congress, allows for mining in the forest, claiming it would create jobs and bolster the mining industry. To comply with this, Walz's order states that Minnesota regulators will not cooperate in any federal environmental review of nonferrous mining projects in the Rainy River watershed, linked to the Boundary Waters.
The state will also refrain from conducting environmental reviews or permitting work on mining proposals while litigation over state mining regulations is ongoing.
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