U.S. House passes vote to revoke mining ban across Superior National Forest, including parts of BWCAW
The bill passed on a 214-208 vote
3:55 P.M. UPDATE: On Wednesday, the House voted to revoke a mining ban across 225,000 acres of the Superior National Forest, including the watershed of Minnesota’s Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness.
The bill passed on a 214-208 vote, with one republican voting against it and one Democrat voting for it.
Republican Rep. Bacon of Nebraska voted against the bill, and Democratic Rep. Golden of Maine voted for the bill.
Representative Pete Stauber released a statement Wednesday, stating he is “thrilled” that the House passed the ban.
DULUTH, Minn. (Northern News Now) - A vote with huge implications for northern Minnesota goes before the US House Wednesday and could pave the way for copper-nickel mining.
As we reported last week, Congressman Pete Stauber is moving to reverse the northeast Minnesota mining ban put in place three years ago.
The republican introduced a resolution that would undo the 20-year mineral withdrawal put in place by the Biden administration. It aimed to stop plans for copper-nickel mining across 225,000 acres of Superior National Forest.
Stauber calls it illegal, saying it threatens jobs and access to critical minerals. The resolution went before the House Rules Committee.
Stauber testified, saying if it passed, any exploration and mining would adhere to state and federal environmental standards. “It reverses the mineral ban of 225,504 acres to allow companies to compete that will follow the federal environmental and labor standards and our strict water standards in Minnesota.” Stauber stated.
Democratic Washington Congresswoman Emily Randall testified in opposition to the resolution, saying the precious waterways of northern Minnesota, including the BWCA, need to be protected at all costs.
“For years this area has been under threat of a highly controversial, foreign owned mining project. The science is clear, if the proposed mine were built in the watershed, not in the waters but in the watershed, the damage to the boundary waters from pollution would be certain and irreversible.” Randall said.
If approved by Congress and signed by the president, the resolution would also prevent future administrations from issuing a new mining ban for the region.
We’ll follow tomorrow’s vote.
Look for the result and reaction from stakeholders on air and online.
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