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The Biden administration on Wednesday canceled former President Donald Trump’s move to renew mining rights leases for a proposed Twin Metals copper-nickel mine in northeastern Minnesota.
A month before the 2020 presidential election, Trump signed an order declaring a national emergency as the country is dependent on imported metals used in the manufacture of computers, smartphones, electric car batteries and other products.
Biden’s cancellation of two leases comes after a decision to move forward in October with a study that could lead to a 20-year ban on mining upstream from the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness.
Twin Metals said in a statement that the decision is political and will not allow the company to destroy the project.
“It is disappointing that the federal government has reversed its stance on mineral leases that Twin Metals Minnesota and its predecessor companies have held for more than 50 years, but it is not surprising given the series of actions the administration has taken to try to shut the door to copper. -nickel mining in northeastern Minnesota,” said the company. “We will challenge this attempt to halt our project and defend our existing mining rights.
The struggle over the proposed Twin Metals mine, as well as the proposed PolyMet mine, has always had political ramifications. Republicans have accused Democrats of sacrificing much-needed jobs in northern Minnesota, just as supply chain issues have highlighted the need for materials used in batteries and computer chips.
Pete Stauber, the Republican U.S. Representative who includes the proposed mining site in the area, tweeted that the move is “terrible news for Minnesota miners and our economy.”
“When will the Biden Administration start to take care of our blue-collar workers?” said Stauber.
Democratic U.S. Representative Betty McCollum, who introduced a bill to prevent copper mining on federal lands in the Rainy River watershed, most of which is within Boundary Waters, said the decision was “a triumph for sound science and a valuable and irreplaceable natural resource.”
Home Secretary Deb Haaland said her department needed to be consistent in how it enforced lease terms and that lease renewals violate “applicable statutes and regulations”.
Twin Metals, owned by Chilean mining giant Antofagasta, submitted its official mining plan to federal and state regulators in 2019. The company said its design would prevent acid drainage from the sulfide-containing ore and protect the wilderness from pollution.
Environmental groups disputed this claim and challenged the lease renewals in court.
Collin O’Mara, current and CEO of the National Wildlife Federation, said in a way to protect essential habitats and protect jobs and economic benefits in the Boundary Waters, which are known for camping, hiking, boating, fishing and hunting. applauded the move.
“The Boundary Waters are a natural treasure that is too important to risk and the costs to humans and wildlife are too high,” said O’Mara.
Twin Metals is not affiliated with PolyMet Mining Corp.’s project in nearby Babbitt and Hoyt Lakes, which is currently grappling with legal challenges and regulatory proceedings. PolyMet’s majority shareholder is the Swiss commodity giant glencore.
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