U.S. House votes to reverse 2023 Northern Minnesota mining ban

The U.S. House of Representatives voted Wednesday on a resolution to reverse a 2023 Public Land Order under the Biden administration that withdrew more than 225,000 acres of land in the Superior National Forest near the Boundary Waters Canoe Area (BWCA) from mining exploration for 20 years.

The Congressional Review Act was introduced by Rep. Pete Stuber (R) on Jan. 12.

“The Biden Administration’s decision to enact its illegal mining ban in Northern Minnesota was not only an attack on our way of life and cost countless good-paying, union jobs, it also put our nation’s mineral security at risk,” said Stuber. “By locking up the Duluth Complex—the world’s largest untapped copper-nickel deposit—President Biden cemented our nation’s reliance on foreign adversarial nations like China for critical minerals that will be necessary for the United States to compete and win in the 21st Century.”

Prior to the vote, the organization Friends of the Boundary Waters Wilderness put out a statement in opposition to the reversal.

“This is your wilderness. We must continue our fight for the Boundary Waters and demand that Congress stand up against any attempts to dig toxic copper-sulfide mines in this watershed,” said Chris Knopf, Executive Director of Friends of the Boundary Waters Wilderness. “We’re monitoring every move and are ready to challenge this action at every turn. We will not stand by while they give away our public lands.”

The resolution will now move to the U.S. Senate.

Earlier in the year, Twin Metals, which is working on an underground copper-nickel mine near Ely and Babbitt, put out their own statement:

“Twin Metals Minnesota is very appreciative of Congress for their efforts to overturn an unnecessary and detrimental action that locked out a significant domestic source of critical minerals, which are needed now more than ever to accomplish our shared goals of energy security, creating good paying jobs and strengthening our nation’s supply chains. Minnesota is fortunate to have both world-class mineral deposits and a stringent regulatory framework that ensures mining projects are held to the highest environmental and labor standards. Twin Metals is committed to moving forward with the responsible development of our mineral resources for the benefit of Minnesota communities while also contributing to a stronger nation.”

RELATED: Mineral withdrawal order from 2023 impacting Twin Metals now headed to Congress after procedural error
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