On Wednesday, January 21, the US House of Representatives passed Minnesota Eighth District Congressman Pete Stauber's resolution to overturn the federal 20-year ban on mining in the Boundary Waters watershed. If this resolution also passes the Senate, it could open the door to sulfide-ore copper mining near the Boundary Waters—like the proposed Twin Metals copper-nickel mine—and risk devastating pollution in the most visited wilderness area in the country. This type of mining has never been done before in Minnesota—and it has never been done safely anywhere.
The Boundary Waters are part of who we are as Minnesotans—a place where generations have learned to paddle, fish, and fall in love with clean water and wild spaces. As the most visited wilderness area in the country, the Boundary Waters wilderness area is also an economic engine for Minnesota, generating $1.1 billion annually, including 17,000 jobs across the tourism industry.