{"id":208086,"date":"2026-04-18T12:05:29","date_gmt":"2026-04-18T12:05:29","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/quixnet.net\/wpinstance\/us-senate-repeals-biden-era-ban-on-mining-near-minnesota-wilderness-area-the-guardian\/"},"modified":"2026-04-18T12:05:29","modified_gmt":"2026-04-18T12:05:29","slug":"us-senate-repeals-biden-era-ban-on-mining-near-minnesota-wilderness-area-the-guardian","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/quixnet.net\/wpinstance\/us-senate-repeals-biden-era-ban-on-mining-near-minnesota-wilderness-area-the-guardian\/","title":{"rendered":"US Senate repeals Biden-era ban on mining near Minnesota wilderness area – The Guardian"},"content":{"rendered":"

Measure passes 50-49 to overturn a 20-year ban on mining near renowned Boundary Waters canoe area wilderness
The US Senate narrowly voted on Thursday to overturn a ban on mining near Minnesota\u2019s Boundary Waters canoe area wilderness, an enormous complex of interconnected lakes, rivers and forests that is among the most visited wild areas in the US.
The resolution passed 50-49 to repeal a 20-year moratorium imposed by Joe Biden\u2019s administration in 2023<\/a> on mining across the 225,000 acres (91,000 hectares) in the Superior national forest.
The House had already approved<\/a> the measure, and it will now head to Donald Trump, who is expected to sign it.
The vote marks a victory for Twin Metals<\/a> Minnesota, a subsidiary of the Chilean mining giant Antofagasta PLC, which is seeking<\/a> to build a copper and nickel mine a few miles from the Boundary Waters. For years, environmental and conservation groups have opposed mining in the area, warning<\/a> that it could contaminate and pollute the Boundary Waters.
Before the Senate vote on Thursday, Tina Smith, a Democratic senator for Minnesota, spoke against<\/a> the resolution, arguing that it would \u201cgreenlight exposure of this national treasure to the highly toxic and destructive impacts of sulfide or copper mining\u201d.
She also argued that the measure was \u201cthe opposite of \u2018America first\u2019\u201d, adding that \u201cthe mining company in question is foreign-owned, will use Chinese state-owned smelters, and will then sell the extracted metals on the open market\u201d.
Two Republicans, senators Susan Collins of Maine and Thom Tillis of North Carolina, joined<\/a> Democrats to vote against the measure. Josh Hawley, a Republican Missouri senator, did not vote, according to the Hill<\/a>.
In a statement after the vote, Smith told<\/a> her supporters: \u201cDo not lose hope. This fight is not over. We should all be so proud of the coalition we built to fight this.\u201d
In a statement, Kathy Graul, a spokesperson for Twin Metals Minnesota, described Thursday\u2019s vote as a \u201ccritical moment for our nation\u2019s ability to strengthen our mineral supply chains\u201d, adding that Twins Metals Minnesota is \u201cone of several companies focused on responsibly developing the minerals in the Duluth Complex, which is the world\u2019s largest known undeveloped copper, nickel, cobalt and platinum group metals deposit.
\u201cAny proposed project in this region, including Twin Metals, must undergo a years long, multi-agency regulatory review before earning permits to begin construction of a mine,\u201d she said, adding that lifting the moratorium \u201crestores this process, and projects must prove they can meet the stringent environmental standards that have long been in place in Minnesota before moving forward\u201d.
Environmental advocates strongly condemned <\/a>the Senate\u2019s vote on Thursday.
Ingrid Lyons, the executive director of Save the Boundary Waters, a conservation group, called it<\/a> a \u201cdark day for America\u2019s most beloved wilderness area, the Boundary Waters canoe area wilderness, and a stark warning call for public lands nationwide\u201d.
\u201cMinnesotans and the American public writ large have been loud and clear: this iconic place needs to be protected,\u201d she said. \u201cToday, by the very people who claim to represent them, they were ignored and, even worse, silenced. But of course, it\u2019s not over, and we will always keep fighting.\u201d
According to the New York Times<\/a>, while the Senate vote this week increases the chances that Twin Metals Minnesota will build the mine, the project still faces other obstacles, such as expected legal battles, and it must still secure federal leases and state permits.<\/p>\n

source<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Measure passes 50-49 to overturn a 20-year ban on mining near renowned Boundary Waters canoe area wildernessThe US Senate narrowly voted on Thursday to overturn a ban on mining near Minnesota\u2019s Boundary Waters canoe area wilderness, an enormous complex of interconnected lakes, rivers and forests that is among the most visited wild areas in the […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":208087,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_genesis_hide_title":false,"_genesis_hide_breadcrumbs":false,"_genesis_hide_singular_image":false,"_genesis_hide_footer_widgets":false,"_genesis_custom_body_class":"","_genesis_custom_post_class":"","_genesis_layout":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[9],"tags":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-208086","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-us","8":"entry"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/quixnet.net\/wpinstance\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/208086","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/quixnet.net\/wpinstance\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/quixnet.net\/wpinstance\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/quixnet.net\/wpinstance\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/quixnet.net\/wpinstance\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=208086"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/quixnet.net\/wpinstance\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/208086\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/quixnet.net\/wpinstance\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/208087"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/quixnet.net\/wpinstance\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=208086"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/quixnet.net\/wpinstance\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=208086"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/quixnet.net\/wpinstance\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=208086"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}