Key facts
- Minnesota Governor Tim Walz issued an order suspending state work on proposed mining projects in the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness.
- The order prevents state regulators from participating in federal environmental reviews for nonferrous mining projects in the Rainy River watershed.
- State environmental reviews and permitting for mining proposals are halted pending ongoing litigation over state mining regulations.
- Twin Metals Minnesota LLC, a subsidiary of Antofagasta Minerals, has been seeking to mine for copper, nickel, and other metals in the area.
- Concerns have been raised that mining activities could pollute the Boundary Waters, which lies downstream from proposed mine sites.
Minnesota Governor Tim Walz has issued an executive order suspending state efforts related to proposed mining projects in the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness. The order prevents state regulators from participating as cooperating agencies in any federal environmental review of nonferrous mining projects in the Rainy River watershed, which is connected to the wilderness area. Additionally, state environmental reviews and permitting work will be halted while litigation concerning state mining regulations is ongoing.
Twin Metals Minnesota LLC, a subsidiary of the Chilean company Antofagasta Minerals, has been pursuing permits to mine for copper, nickel, and other precious metals in the Superior National Forest since 2019. The company asserts it can conduct mining without storing waste rock above ground, thereby eliminating a potential source of acid pollution. However, environmental advocates and others are concerned that mining activities could contaminate the Boundary Waters, a cherished wilderness area downstream from the proposed mine sites.
This action by Governor Walz follows a decision in April by Congress and the Trump administration to lift a federal moratorium on mining in the forest, a move intended to create jobs and stimulate the mining industry. U.S. Representative Pete Stauber criticized Walz's order, describing it as an "outright war on Northern Minnesota." Conversely, Becky Rom, chairperson of the advocacy group Save the Boundary Waters, praised the governor, stating that "copper mining and the Boundary Waters cannot safely coexist" and that the action safeguards clean water and the outdoor economy.