Contact: Libby London (612) 227-8407
February 12, 2025
Dear reporters and editors,
On Tuesday, Jill Burcum, Pulitzer Prize finalist for her piece "Not this mine. Not this location," and a member of the Minnesota Star Tribune Editorial Board, published a powerful piece warning that the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness faces an urgent threat as the Senate prepares to vote on HJ Res 140 this month, which would overturn the existing mining ban which protects against sulfide-ore copper mining in the watershed of the Boundary Waters for 20-years. Through an unprecedented use of the Congressional Review Act, it would not only eliminate current protections but also prevent future administrations from using the same safeguards on the Boundary Waters headwaters.
“Until this moment, a 20-year-moratorium on copper mining has protected this fragile watery wilderness from falling into the clutches of a presidential administration staffed by science deniers and on the prowl for donations to pay for pet projects like the new White House ballroom. Alarmingly, an upcoming vote in the U.S. Senate could soon overturn the moratorium. Passage would likely fast-track the opening of a Chilean-owned copper mine on the BWCA’s doorstep, leaving some of the world’s cleanest water at risk of destructive downstream pollution…”
“A 2019 Minnesota Star Tribune Editorial Board special report noted that copper mining, which has never been done in the state, carries more risks than taconite mining, an industry that has operated here for decades. The report, titled “Not This Mine. Not This Location,” noted that these risks are exacerbated by northern Minnesota’s wet and extreme climate compared to the dry conditions where copper and related minerals are typically extracted.
The report did not oppose all copper mining in the state. But it spotlighted the risks from a particular mine proposal, one owned by Chilean mining conglomerate Antofagasta, that is not in the BWCA but would be perched on the shore of a nearby lake draining into its connected waterways. These waters are uniquely vulnerable to pollution because they are so pristine…”
“Because of some dubious procedural gymnastics ginned up by Antofagasta’s congressional toadies, it appears that it will only need a simple majority to pass, avoiding the 60-vote threshold typically needed to advance legislation in the upper chamber. Republicans control the Senate, so the measure could swiftly move to the desk of a president who vowed to undo the moratorium on the 2024 campaign trail…”
“Unfortunately, the Republican Party no longer seems to care about conservation as it did during the time of Presidents Grant, Lincoln and the old lion,” Roosevelt said, with the lion referring to his illustrious forebear. “And so I urge the Senate and I urge everybody in the Minnesota Legislature, let’s step up to the plate and do what’s right.
Minnesota’s two Democratic U.S. Senators Amy Klobuchar and Tina Smith have followed the BWCA mining issue closely and well understand the risks. They should not only vote no but use their clout to convince others to do the same. A Klobuchar spokesperson said she will be voting no and is concerned that the procedural mechanism in use to pass the bill would have far-reaching consequences for public lands.
Smith is also a no vote. “Republicans are trying to use arcane congressional procedure to undo these protections so they can line the pockets of a Chilean mining conglomerate,” Smith said. “I want to be clear that I support mining. But not this mine in this place.”
Minnesota legislators have a chance to protect the BWCA as well. A bill introduced in the 2025 session would prohibit state permits, licenses or leases for mineral exploration or mining in the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness and Rainy River headwaters, except in a congressionally declared national emergency with prior approval from the Minnesota Legislature. There’s no time to lose in moving it forward.
Gov. Tim Walz, who is not running for re-election, can also push for stronger BWCA safeguards before leaving office. Ensuring that generations to come can enjoy this special place would be a worthy legacy for him and all who serve at the State Capitol.”
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