Rep. Dean Phillips (MN-03) released the following statement today after the U.S. Bureau of Land Management (BLM) announced it has renewed a 10-year lease for Twin Metals near Ely, Minnesota. The renewal allows Twin Metals, a Chilean-owned mining company, to engage in mineral exploration on national forest land adjacent to the Boundary Waters Canoe Area (BWCA).
 

“The Boundary Waters is a Minnesota treasure, the most-visited wilderness area in the United States, and must be protected,” said Phillips. “I support responsible mining, but since the Trump Administration cancelled the environmental review that would determine the safety of this project, it has not earned that distinction. The risks to the Boundary Waters outweigh the potential benefits. Projects such as these require the highest possible standards of environmental review, and efforts to bypass that process are irresponsible and have enormous potential consequences for our state. We must ensure that future generations can enjoy the beauty of the Boundary Waters.”
 

The Twin Metals lease renewal had been on hold pending a review of the environmental implications of acidic runoff on the BWCA’s pristine lakes. A public comment period yielded feedback from 39,000 people, but the Trump administration cancelled a more complete study that would have fully determined the environmental impact.
 

Twin Metals will begin the planning process for a $3 billion underground copper-nickel mine immediately, and a final mining proposal could be submitted in a matter of months.
 

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