(Ely, MN)— On Sunday, the Star Tribune published an editorial about U.S. Rep. Stauber’s bill, HR 3195, which passed in the U.S. House last week. This reckless bill would rescind the 20-year mineral withdrawal issued by the Biden Administration last year, which protects 225,504 acres of the Superior National Forest in the Boundary Waters headwaters from mining development and degradation. Fifty-two organizations signed a letter sent to Congress opposing HR 3195. The bill panders to foreign mine owners and goes against the will of 70% of Minnesotans who support a ban on sulfide-ore copper mining in the Boundary Waters headwaters.
U.S. Rep. Pete Stauber has served clear and troubling notice that preserving the Minnesota's beloved Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness could hinge on the outcome of this fall's elections.
All voters who care about safeguarding this fragile, watery wilderness should be aware of the threat posed by reckless legislation pushed through the House by the Republican Eighth District congressman.
The bill, HR 3195, is misleadingly dubbed the "Superior National Forest Restoration Act." It sounds environmentally friendly. It's anything but. A more accurate name for the bill would be: "Pandering to Chilean Billionaires Act."
Stauber's irresponsible bill aims to rescind the new 20-year moratorium on copper-nickel mining in the BWCA's headwaters. This is an outcome that would greatly benefit Antofagasta, the Chilean mining conglomerate that owns Twin Metals Minnesota. Antofagasta, in turn, is controlled by the Luksics, South America's wealthiest family.
Antofagasta seeks to open an underground copper-nickel mine just outside the BWCA but on the edge of a lake that drains into the wilderness. That's a serious problem when the copper mining industry worldwide has an appalling track record of pollution. Copper-nickel mining is also new to Minnesota and carries different risks than our more familiar taconite operations…
…The public land order also stands in commendable contrast to the Trump administration's efforts to ram through the Antofagasta mine in secrecy, with little regard for science or risks to the BWCA…
…If the Stauber bill is enacted, the ban on judicial review equates to saying, "Tough luck to the American public. You can't go to the court on this. They've got these leases. This foreign mining company has rights to the minerals in the watershed of the Boundary Waters, period. Get used to it," said Becky Rom, an Ely native, grandmother, former attorney and citizen activist with the Save the Boundary Waters campaign.
Regrettably, Stauber's bill passed the Republican-controlled House on April 30 on a mostly party line vote of 212-203. All of Minnesota's GOP representatives voted for it. The state's Democratic delegation all voted against it.
There's no companion bill yet in the Senate. If and when there is, that legislation would face appropriate headwinds in this chamber, which is controlled by Democrats. Minnesota U.S. Sen. Tina Smith provided this welcome, energetic statement this week on Stauber's bill:
"The Boundary Waters are some of the cleanest waters on Earth, and while I support mining, I can't support sulfide mining in the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness' watershed. While I'm disappointed to see this bill pass the House, I'm going to do everything I can to organize my Senate colleagues against this legislation and protect the Boundary Waters."
President Joe Biden would be unlikely to sign Stauber's bill if it passes the Senate. This is little comfort, however, given the looming fall election. A change in leadership in the Senate or the White House could quickly resurrect this risky mine perched on the BWCA's doorstep.
Instead of reversing the copper mining safeguards for the BWCA, Congress instead needs to enact permanent protections for its headwaters, as Democratic Rep. Betty McCollum is admirably pushing for. Similar safeguards have been put in place on lands near other natural treasures, such as Yellowstone National Park. The BWCA deserves to have the same level of protection. It's up to voters to ensure that it does.
The Biden Administration issued a Statement of Administration Policy on Monday. April 29th, in strong opposition to H.R. 3195 saying it “would undermine decades of local efforts to protect the pristine Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness – a spectacular network of rivers, lakes, and forests that comprise the most heavily visited wilderness in the United States – from pollution from mining in its watershed.”
H.R. 3195 would not only reverse Secretary Haaland’s mineral withdrawal – it would also automatically force the issuance of federal mineral leases to Chilean mining giant Antofagasta without any environmental review, place an arbitrary and truncated 18-month review on any environmental review of a mine plan of operation and project permits, and block any judicial review of prospecting permits and mineral leases within the watershed of the Boundary Waters and Voyageurs National Park.