U.S. House panel scraps Boundary Waters protection as it works on Trump’s ‘big beautiful bill’

WASHINGTON As it finished its work on President Donald Trump s big beautiful bill the House Natural Tools Committee approved rule that would end a mining ban on Superior National Forest that protects the watershed for the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness The decree would also reestablish mineral leases sought by mining company Twin Metals that had been canceled and approve new leases for mineral extraction and helium production in the national forest In a marathon session that ended early Wednesday Democrats on the panel submitted about amendments including one that would strip out the provision s language reversing the mining moratorium and another that would scrap the approval of new leases The wide-ranging budget bill would also open the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge to oil exploration Moreover it would allow companies to pay a fee in exchange for expedited permitting and give mining companies and the oil and natural gas industry certain exemptions from judicial review limiting environmental lawsuits that have impeded copper-nickel mining efforts on Minnesota s Iron Range Taconite is mined in Superior National Forest but environmentalists say mining for copper cobalt nickel and other metals in the forest would produce tailings that can be dangerous sources of toxic chemicals that would pollute the Rainy River Watershed and the Boundary Waters Rep Jared Huffman of California the highest-ranking Democrat on the panel called the bill the most of extreme anti-environment bill in American history The vast majority of Americans hate all of this he reported The act was also condemned by environmental groups that have been fighting sulfide-ore mining on the Iron Range Ingrid Lyons Executive Director of Save the Boundary Waters called the bill a reckless giveaway of America s largest part iconic citizens lands And the Boundary Waters is squarely in the crosshairs she added Even so the panel s Republican majority struck down every Democratic amendment Twin Metals which has been trying to mine copper nickel and cobalt in Superior National Forest for decades declined comment But MiningMinnesota which represents mining interests in the state noted in a comment that it applauded the members of Congress who recognize what we ve long known Minnesota is home to one of the world s largest undeveloped mineral materials including copper nickel cobalt and more Restoring cancelled federal mineral rights in northeast Minnesota is an crucial step forward in allowing current and future mining projects to undergo a fair and thorough regulatory process MiningMinnesota commented Rep Pete Stauber R- th District a senior member of the panel introduced decree that would end the moratorium and reestablish Twin Metals leases But those bills failed to pass the U S Senate Yet the bill informed out of the House Natural Tools Committee on Wednesday will be part of a budget reconciliation process that cannot be filibustered by the Senate Stauber explained the measure responsibly unleashes American information As congressional committees work on a budget bill that would implement Trump s agenda impose massive cuts in federal programs and renew trillion in tax cuts Trump implemented in his first term the process has been slowed by GOP disagreements over how much to cut from Medicaid and other programs Rep Pete Stauber And specific provisions the House wants in the reconciliation bill may run afoul of the Senate parliamentarian because in the Senate reconciliation bills must focus on budget issues not changes in federal approach And as far as the mining provisions approved by the House Natural Information Committee Minnesota s mining industry is also regulated by the state and any new permits would have to be approved by the governor The state is a backstop Lyons stated Critical minerals production Meanwhile Trump s National Potency Dominance Council last week designated a proposed open pit mine for copper nickel cobalt and other precious metals proposed by NewRange as a priority for federal permitting Through an executive order signed in March Trump directed federal agencies in coordination with the council to identify and expedite priority mineral production projects that can be at once approved or right away issued permits NewRange proposes building a billion open pit mine near Babbitt and Hoyt Lakes called the NorthMet Project But the company had its federal permit from the U S Army Corps of Engineers revoked because of concerns over the mine s feasible impact on a federally protected wetland NewRange says it will submit an updated Clean Water Act Section permit application for the NorthMet Project to the Army Corps of Engineers later this year Meanwhile Trump has increased the impact on national prevention of the minerals that are below the surface of the Iron Range The executive order Trump signed in March added copper and several other minerals to the nation s list of critical minerals which had already included nickel and cobalt Trump is intent on boosting the nation s production of critical minerals and is using his authority under the Defense Production Act to try to reduce U S reliance on critical minerals through imports from countries like China The post U S House panel scraps Boundary Waters protection as it works on Trump s big beautiful bill appeared first on MinnPost