U.S. House votes to lift BWCA mining ban
The U.S. House has voted to overturn a federal ban on new mining in Superior National Forest upstream of the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness, reversing Biden‑era protections after President Trump rolled them back by executive order. The resolution, backed by Rep. Pete Stauber, now heads to the GOP‑controlled Senate and would reopen the door to copper‑nickel sulfide mines in the Rainy River watershed, where opponents say acid drainage is essentially inevitable and could foul interconnected lakes and rivers for centuries, potentially reaching Lake Superior. Rep. Betty McCollum blasted the vote as putting 'one of the largest reserves of freshwater in the world directly in the path of inevitable acid mine drainage,' and advocacy groups like Friends of the Boundary Waters, Save the Boundary Waters and the Center for Biological Diversity vowed to fight the bill in the Senate and the courts. Supporters frame the move as pro‑mining and pro‑jobs, but critics on social media are already calling it a sell‑out of public lands to foreign mining firms whose concentrates are shipped to China, and are reviving pushes for a state‑level 'Prove It First' law that would set stricter limits regardless of what Congress does.
đź“Ś Key Facts
- The U.S. House voted to lift a federal ban on new mining in Superior National Forest upstream of the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness, undoing protections imposed under the Biden administration.
- The measure now moves to the Republican‑controlled U.S. Senate; if enacted, it would reopen the area to copper‑nickel sulfide mining projects widely viewed by scientists as high‑risk for acid mine drainage.
- Rep. Betty McCollum opposed the bill, warning it endangers 'one of the largest reserves of freshwater in the world,' while groups like Friends of the Boundary Waters, Save the Boundary Waters and the Center for Biological Diversity condemned the vote and pledged to fight it.
- Advocates emphasize that sulfide‑ore mining differs from traditional iron mining and has a 100% global track record of pollution, raising concerns that contamination could spread across millions of acres of interconnected northern waterways and ultimately affect downstream systems.
đź“Š Relevant Data
A 2012 Earthworks report analyzing 14 copper sulfide mines, representing 89% of U.S. copper production, found that 100% experienced pipeline spills or other accidental releases, and 92% failed to control mine wastewater, resulting in significant water quality impacts.
U.S. Operating Copper Mines - Congress.gov — Congress.gov
The proposed Twin Metals mining project in Minnesota is projected to create 650 direct jobs and 1,300 indirect jobs, generating an annual economic output of $1.5 billion.
Twin Metals Minnesota Project Will Result In Billions For Economic Growth — Mining Record
Twin Metals Minnesota is a wholly owned subsidiary of Antofagasta PLC, a Chilean mining company controlled by the Luksic family.
Twin Metals mine - Wikipedia — Wikipedia
A December 2025 poll showed that 70% of Minnesotans support permanently protecting the Boundary Waters from mining, with 86% holding a positive view of the area.
New poll shows Minnesotans favor protecting BWCAW from mining — Timberjay
A 2018 economic study by Harvard researchers found that sulfide-ore copper mining near the Boundary Waters would result in a net loss of jobs and income over 20 years compared to the existing tourism and amenity-based economy, projecting a loss of up to 5,545 jobs and $288 million in annual personal income under a high-impact scenario.
Sulfide-Ore Copper Mining and/or A Sustainable Boundary Waters Economy — Congress.gov
The Boundary Waters region is part of the traditional homelands of the Anishinaabe (Ojibwe) people, who maintain treaty rights under the 1854 Treaty, including rights to hunt, fish, and gather, and tribes like the Bois Forte Band and Fond du Lac Band have opposed mining due to risks to water quality and cultural resources.
The Boundary Watersis Anishinaabe Land — Save the Boundary Waters
The Biden administration imposed a 20-year moratorium on mining in 225,504 acres of the Superior National Forest in January 2023 to protect the Boundary Waters from potential pollution, based on a two-year environmental study that assessed ecological, economic, and cultural risks.
Boundary Waters Protected For Next Twenty Years — The Wilderness Society
Global copper demand is projected to increase by 50% by 2040 under a net-zero scenario, driven by the energy transition, including electrification and renewable energy technologies, requiring an additional 2 million tonnes per annum of copper supply over the next decade.
soaring copper demand an obstacle to future growth — Wood Mackenzie
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