Bluestem can't overlook this commentary from today's Minnesota Reformer, by the national chair of the Campaign to Save the Boundary Waters.
Waters watershed with a permanent ban on sulfide-ore mining
By Becky Rom. Minnesota ReformerThe state of Minnesota is considering approval of mining activities in the watershed of the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness, the most accessible and heavily-used Wilderness in the United States, just months after the federal government determined that sulfide-ore copper mining in this watershed posed a threat of grave permanent damage to the Wilderness.
In January 2023, U.S. Interior Secretary Deb Haaland — exercising her authority under federal law — issued an order prohibiting mining activity for 20 years on all federal lands in the watershed of the Boundary Waters. The lands covered by this mining ban lie outside the Wilderness, but directly upstream from it. Under current law, 20 years is the maximum period allowed for such a mining ban.
Haaland’s order was foreshadowed by the continuing refusal of the U.S. Forest Service since 2016 to consent to the renewal of federal sulfide-ore copper mining leases in the Boundary Waters watershed because of the dire threat that pollution and other impacts of such upstream mines would pose to the Wilderness.
Events subsequent to the issuance of Haaland’s order underscore the necessity to now pass federal and state legislation permanently banning sulfide-ore copper mining on federal and state lands in the watershed of the Boundary Waters.
On September 22 Franconia Minerals filed an application with the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources to allow it to conduct exploratory drilling on the shore of Birch Lake in the Boundary Waters watershed. Franconia seeks to develop a sulfide-ore copper mine on state-owned lands on which Franconia holds leases; the mine would be located under Birch Lake. Franconia is owned by Twin Metals, the company that sought to renew leases to mine in the Boundary Waters watershed — the leases for which the Forest Service denied consent for renewal. Twin Metals is owned by Chilean mining conglomerate Antofagasta.
The Franconia exploratory drilling plan application comes at a time when the DNR is reconsidering portions of its mine-siting rules. As a result of an ongoing lawsuit filed by Northeastern Minnesotans for Wilderness under the Minnesota Environmental Rights Act, the DNR has determined that current regulations are inadequate to protect the Boundary Waters from pollution by light and noise. The DNR has said it will commence rule-making to address this pollution. Yet at the same time, the DNR is considering an exploratory drilling plan by Franconia that would generate the very light and noise the DNR said would pollute the Boundary Waters. DNR approval of the Franconia plan would be totally incongruent with — and should not be allowed in view of — the ongoing NMW lawsuit and related proceedings.
The NMW lawsuit also asserts that, among other things, mining-related activities in the watershed will degrade water quality in the Boundary Waters. The lawsuit will lead to a decision on whether any sulfide-ore mining activities at all should be allowed in the watershed. NMW’s water quality monitoring data shows that the water of Birch Lake is impaired by sulfate from old mining operations, a compound that is highly detrimental to wild rice. The impairment now extends at least 21.7 miles through waters downstream from the west end of Birch Lake. The Minnesota Pollution Control Agency is likely to soon list Birch Lake as an impaired wild rice lake. If that happens, it will be unlawful for any mine to discharge any amount of sulfate into Birch Lake. “Zero pollution” is a standard no mine has ever achieved.
Yet the DNR is considering an exploratory drilling plan for Franconia to facilitate a polluting mine that would be built under Birch Lake, the most popular recreation lake in the Superior National Forest outside the Boundary Waters, notwithstanding the NMW lawsuit and related proceedings and notwithstanding the expected listing of Birch Lake as impaired.
The extensive scientific and economic studies underlying Haaland’s order prohibiting mining — and the Forest Service’s earlier decision to refuse to consent to mining lease renewals — show beyond dispute that sulfide-ore mining in the Boundary Waters watershed would do extensive and irreparable harm to this great Wilderness. The economic and social fabric of local communities would be seriously harmed.Until legislation is passed that permanently prohibits sulfide-ore mining in the Wilderness watershed, mining companies — entities that care not at all about ecological and community health and sustainability — will continue to probe and prod for openings.
Congress and the Minnesota Legislature should act promptly to enact a permanent ban on sulfide-ore mining in the Boundary Waters watershed.
I agree.
This commentary from the Minnesota Reformer is republished online under Creative Commons license CC BY-NC-ND 4.0.
Photo: Photo by Dave Freeman, courtesy of Campaign to Save the Boundary Waters.
Related posts
- MN Reformer: Public lands near MN BWCA Waters withdrawn from federal mining leases
- MN Reformer Commentary: Clean water is a winning issue. Why are politicians so against it?
- Interior Secretary Deb Haaland's father had Norwegian-American roots in New London, MN
- MN Reformer: Biden administration cancels mining leases near Minnesota’s Boundary Waters
- Appeals Court says Northeastern Minnesotans for Wilderness can challenge mine siting rules
- Water is life: Iron Range board legislators table new water system for Fond du Lac band
If you appreciate Bluestem Prairie, you can mail contributions (payable to Sally Jo Sorensen, 600 Maple Street, Summit SD 57266) or use the paypal button in the upper right hand corner of this post.
Or you can contribute via this link to paypal; use email [email protected] as recipient.
I'm on Venmo for those who prefer to use this service: @Sally-Sorensen-6
Comments