WASHINGTON – The Senate has passed a resolution to rescind a 20-year ban on mining of 350 square miles of land near Minnesota’s Boundary Waters Canoe Area in a 50 to 49 vote.
Senators Thom Tillis of North Carolina and Susan Collins of Maine were the only Republicans who voted no. Republican Senator Josh Hawley of Missouri didn’t vote on the resolution. It now goes to President Trump’s desk.
The area is in Superior National Forest and within the Boundary Waters’ watershed.
Republican Congressman Pete Stauber who represents Northeastern Minnesota introduced the resolution.
“We’ll responsibly mine the critical minerals that will allow us to compete and win in the 21st Century,” Stauber wrote on X.
Minnesota Senator Tina Smith slammed Twin Metals for wanting to mine in the area.
“Who’s the winner here? You’re going to come down on the side of a Chilean billionaire. That’s not an America first strategy,” Smith said on the Senate floor.
Emmy-winning actor and “Parks and Recreation” star Nick Offerman advocated against the resolution on social media.
“If you care about clean water, public lands, and protecting places we can’t replace, now is the time to speak up,” Offerman wrote on X.
Twin Metals will need to resecure federal mining leases for this project that were canceled by the Biden administration in 2022.
