U.S. Senate Votes 50-49 To Allow Mining Near Boundary Waters

The U.S. Senate narrowly voted Thursday to allow mining near the Boundary Waters, a move critics warn could pollute the region’s lakes and streams.

The measure passed 50-49 and rolls back federal protections that had blocked mining near the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness, one of the most visited wilderness areas in the country.

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Minnesota’s two Democratic U.S. senators opposed the measure.

Tina Smith warned it would allow “toxic copper-nickel sulfide mining” in the Boundary Waters watershed, while Amy Klobuchar called the move “unprecedented.”

Supporters, including Republican U.S. Rep. Pete Stauber, who represents northern Minnesota, praised the vote.

Stauber called it “a major victory for America and Minnesota’s 8th Congressional District” and said reversing what he described as an “illegal mining ban” will help secure the future of mining in the region.

Mining would still be banned inside the Boundary Waters itself. But the measure repeals a Biden-era moratorium on mining across more than 225,000 acres of the Superior National Forest, reopening land nearby, in the same watershed, to potential development, the New York Times reported.

The decision is a major boost for Twin Metals Minnesota, a subsidiary of Chilean mining giant Antofagasta, which has proposed building a copper-nickel mine just a few miles from the Boundary Waters.

Supporters say the project would strengthen domestic supplies of critical minerals used in electronics, energy, and defense.

Opponents, including environmental groups, researchers, and tribal leaders, say mining in the area could contaminate the Boundary Waters’ interconnected lakes and streams, threatening wildlife, tourism, and natural resources.

The proposed mine still faces additional hurdles, including permits and likely legal challenges, but Thursday’s vote significantly increases the chances it moves forward.