Betty McCollum

01/21/2025 | Press release | Distributed by Public on 01/21/2025 12:48

Rep. McCollum Reintroduces Legislation to Permanently Protect BWCA

WASHINGTON, D.C. - Congresswoman Betty McCollum (DFL, MN-04) announced on Tuesday morning that she reintroduced the Boundary Waters Wilderness Protection and Pollution Prevention Act, a bill she has championed for nearly a decade. The legislation would permanently protect 225,504 acres of federal lands and waters within the Superior National Forest from highly hazardous sulfide-ore copper mining, including a plan by a Chilean mining company to extract critical minerals from the Superior National Forest and sell them to China for smelting.

"The Boundary Waters are a national treasure that must be protected," said Congresswoman McCollum. "The Boundary Waters' 1.1 million acres of interconnected lands and streams are an abundant source of fresh water, so clean you could literally drink it. Allowing these waters to be permanently poisoned by toxic sulfide ore run-off would be a devastating tragedy for our nation."

"The Boundary Waters' abundant wildlife, diverse ecosystem, serene quiet, and constellation-filled nighttime skies are a source of rejuvenation and adventure for the hundreds of thousands of Americans who've made it our nation's most visited wilderness area. We cannot allow this natural sanctuary to be ruined by a Chilean mining company that has an abysmal record on similar mining projects. Some places are simply too precious to mine."

Background

The Superior National Forest is a national forest system in the Arrowhead region of Northern Minnesota along the U.S.-Canadian border. The Superior National Forest comprises nearly 4,000,000 acres of crystal-clear waters, biodiverse forests, and historic portages that have been in use for centuries. It borders Quetico Provincial Park in Ontario, Canada.

The Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness (BWCA) is a system of pristine lakes, forests, rivers, streams, and portage routes located entirely within the Superior National Forest. Under the protection of the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness Act passed in 1978, the region is protected and managed by the United States Forest Service. It is the most-visited federally-designated wilderness area (source).

Situated to the northwest of the BWCA, Voyageurs National Park is a popular fishing, hiking, snowmobiling, and canoeing destination that has been under federal protection since President Nixon signed the proposal into law in 1971. Voyageurs is the only national park in the state of Minnesota.

Rep. McCollum's bill is focused on preventing sulfide-ore copper mining in the headwaters of the Boundary Waters and Voyageurs National Park.

Recent Protections & The Threat Posed by the Trump Administration

The Biden Administration and Interior Secretary Deb Haaland conducted an extensive Environmental Assessment that showed the scientific evidence and public interest clearly support the withdrawal of the 225,000 acres of federal lands and lakes in the BWCA's headwaters from mineral leasing. The 20-year secretarial withdrawal issued in January 2023 was a historic step in ensuring the pristine Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness was protected from toxic sulfide-ore run-off. But without permanent protection, this pristine wilderness will be subjected to further political interference, as was the case during the first Trump administration-which is why Rep. McCollum is introducing this legislation on the first day of the new administration.

Zero Impact on Other Mining Proposals

The legislation does not limit taconite or iron-ore mining anywhere in the State of Minnesota. It has zero impact on sulfide-ore copper mining projects outside the Rainy River Drainage Basin. It does not interfere with state mineral leasing, state environmental regulations, or state permitting processes.

Congresswoman McCollum has championed the security of the Boundary Waters throughout her time in Congress, and she continues to build a coalition in support of this effort.

Original cosponsors of the legislation include: Original cosponsors of the legislation are as follows: Nanette Diaz Barragán (CA-44), Donald S. Beyer, Jr. (VA-8), Julia Brownley (CA-26), Sean Casten (IL-06), Judy Chu (CA-28), Steve Cohen (TN-09), Gerald E. Connolly (VA-11), Jesus G. "Chuy" García (IL-04), Jared Huffman (CA-02), Gwen Moore (WI-04), Kelly Morrison (MN-03), Jerrold Nadler (NY-10), Eleanor Holmes Norton (DC), Ilhan Omar (MN-05), Chellie Pingree (ME-01), Janice D. Schakowsky (IL-09), Melanie A. Stansbury (NM-01), Jill N. Tokuda (HI-2), Paul Tonko (NY-20), Nikema Williams (GA-5).

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