On December 15 the U.S. Department of the Interior and the U.S. Department of Agriculture took actions that denied an application for renewal of two hard rock mineral leases near the Boundary Waters Canoe Area (BWCA), as well as initiated steps to withdraw key portions of the watershed from new mineral permits and leases.
The Bureau of Land Management (BLM), the agency managing the mineral deposits, rejected the renewal application, which was submitted by Twin Metals Minnesota in 2012.
Twin Metals initially received those leases in 1966 and most recently renewed them in 2004. The leases would have allowed for the mining of copper, nickel and associated minerals from the leased lands. However, no mining has occurred on either site since the original date of issuance.
Secretary of Agriculture Thomas Vilsack said the agencies had heard from thousands of concerned citizens who were against the two lease proposals from Twin Metals.
In a public statement, Vilsack said, “I have asked Interior to take a time out, conduct a careful environmental analysis and engage the public on whether future mining should be authorized on any federal land next door to the Boundary Waters.”
“The Boundary Waters is a natural treasure, special to the 150,000 who canoe, fish, and recreate there each year, and is the economic lifeblood of the local business that depends on a pristine natural resource,” added Secretary Vilsack.
The decision by the United States Departments of Agriculture and the Interior also included steps to withdraw key portions of the watershed from new mineral permits and leases.
For Grand Marais husband and wife Dave and Amy Freeman, the announcement was welcomed relief. The couple spent one year living and camping in the BWCA as a way to bring the topic of the potential dangers of sulfide ore copper mining to the publics’ eye.
“Amy and I are extremely excited about last week’s announcement to deny the renewal of the two expired Twin Metals mineral leases along the southern edge of the Wilderness near Ely,” Dave said. “We were jumping for joy when the news reached us last week. This is a major step towards protecting northern Minnesota from the sulfide-ore copper mining pollution, but we know there is still a lot of work to do.
“The Department of the Interior will announce a 90-day comment period very soon and it is critical that hundreds of thousands of people speak loudly for the Wilderness by submitting comments and attending any public hearings that are held during the comment period. www.SavetheBoundaryWaters.org will be sharing information about the public comment period when it is released and will have more information about how concerned citizens can make their voices heard,” said David Freeman.
On March 6, 2016, Governor Mark Dayton informed Ian Duckworth, chief operating officer of Twin Metals that, “In light of my concern about using state lands to advance mining operations on close proximity to the BWCAW and given the uncertainty surrounding Twin Metals’ federal mineral leases, I wish to inform you that I have directed the DNR not to authorize or enter into any new state access agreements or lease agreements for mining operations on those state lands.”
U.S. Rep. Rick Nolan wasn’t happy with neither governor nor the action taken by the Interior or Agriculture departments.
“Minnesota’s Iron Range got a real slap in the face and a punch in the gut by Washington bureaucrats this morning. The United States Forest Service (USFS) and the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) announced their joint decision to withhold and deny consent on two of Twin Metals’ leases, which were previously renewed twice without controversy. This decision denies Minnesota’s Iron Range the opportunity to explore a project in the area that would bring thousands of new, greatly needed jobs to our region. The Washington bureaucrats have clearly overreached their authority. It’s an embarrassing shame that we can’t even use science and exploration to discover what we have before shutting it all down.”
“We are all in agreement with the USDA’s mission to maintain the BWCA’s water quality and to protect its fish and wildlife. To be sure, we must protect our environment – the BWCA in particular – but we should never be afraid of exploration and discovery, or using science and facts to dictate important decisions. This is by no means the end of it all. We intend to work in the next Congress with the new Administration to ensure that we allow all mining initiatives to proceed through the proper rigorous and thorough process, using science, facts, and technology to guide our decisions. “Furthermore, I am stunned the Administration chose to add insult to injury and propose to withdraw hundreds of thousands of acres of Superior National Forest land from mining. This goes in direct contradiction to the spirit, intent and the letter of the law in the 1978 BWCA multiple-use compromise. This law established the area as predominantly non-motorized, taking millions of acres of lands out of valuable production. The law explicitly reserved lands outside of BWCA in the Superior National Forest for forestry, and management plans were established that included mining and mineral exploration, which was designated a “desirable activity.” I am also deeply concerned that the agencies failed to clarify whether they intend the segregation and withdrawal action to apply to taconite mining, now or in the future.”
Governor Mark Dayton had the opposite response. “Today’s announcement is tremendous news for the protection of the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness (BCWAW), a crown jewel in Minnesota, and a national treasure.
“It is important to note that this decision is not in opposition to mining, but in defense of a natural and priceless environmental wonder.”
In turning down the lease renewals, the Forest Service pointed to the potential risk of environmental contamination of the surrounding watershed. The two leases are located next to and within three miles of the BWCAW. Sulfide ore mine sites like the one proposed for these leased lands and in a water-based ecosystem like the Boundary Waters in the past have caused acid drainage that is a significant environmental risk to aquatic life, fish, and recreation-based uses and communities.
The Forest Service submitted an application to the Secretary of the Interior to withdraw key portions of the watershed that flows into the BWCAW from new mineral permits and leases.
The Bureau of Land Management will review the withdrawal application and issue a notice in the Federal Register to segregate the lands for up to two years, subject to valid existing rights.
During the segregation period, the Bureau of Land Management and the Forest Service will conduct an environmental analysis to determine if the lands should be withdrawn for 20 years. This process will invite participation by the public, tribes, environmental groups, industry, state and local government, as well as other stakeholders. By law, the Department of the Interior can only withdraw these lands for a maximum of 20 years. Only Congress can legislate a permanent withdrawal.
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