Minnesota BWCA: Vote postponed after Sen. Smith holds Senate floor in protest

WASHINGTON, D.C. (FOX 9) - U.S. Senator Tina Smith announced her intention to hold the Senate floor to protest legislation that would remove protections for the Minnesota Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness (BWCA).

The vote was then rescheduled to Thursday, April 16.

The Senate was initially poised to end a 20-year ban on mining operations put in place by the Biden Administration in 2023. 

A live stream of the speeches on the Senate floor can be viewed in the player above. 

READ MORE: Minnesota’s BWCA mining ban could soon come to an end

Senate floor Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness protest

What they're saying:

Just before taking the Senate Floor around 7:40 p.m. Central Time, Sen. Smith shared the following statement:

"If they want to go against the will of Minnesotans, then I am going to hold the Senate floor for hours to give them every opportunity to change their minds and do the right thing. This is a special place beloved by Minnesota and the country, and this mine poses an unacceptable threat. We can mine responsibly here in the United States to access the critical minerals we need. But this mine, in this place, using this unprecedented process, is not the way to do it."

Environmentalists say the benefits of mining in or near the area aren’t worth the risk, as the pristine wilderness connected to millions of gallons of freshwater lakes should be protected for future generations, while the mining industry adapts accordingly.

Sen. Smith spoke extensively about what the BWCA means to generations of Minnesotans and the risks posed by mining in the area.

Sen. Klobuchar added that the resolution to remove protections is "an unprecedented use of a procedural mechanism that would have far-reaching consequences, not just for the BWCA, but for other public lands. Secretaries of the interior have long had the ability to issue public land orders to reserve federal land for specific uses, setting it aside for things like infrastructure, certain military purposes, training and border security protection and conservation and public land orders are carefully made."

The other side:

Ahead of the scheduled vote, Rep. Pete Stauber, a Republican in the U.S. House of Representatives who represents Minnesota's Eighth Congressional District, shared the following statement:

"I am excited that the Senate is expected to pass my Congressional Review Act resolution soon, repealing Biden’s illegal mining ban in the Superior National Forest and opening the door for the responsible development of critical minerals, helium, and other natural resources that will allow us to compete in the 21st century. The passage of this legislation is not an automatic green light for any proposed project. This CRA puts an end to the back-and-forth uncertainty created by harmful political games that have delayed prosperity in our area for far too long. Now, established federal and state permitting processes will determine the outcome. I look forward to seeing Minnesota bring mineral dominance to the global market and finally end our dependence on foreign adversaries like China."

Those in favor of mining efforts argue the resources are not only needed for manufacturing, but also in reaching carbon-emission goals. The mining would also be done with stricter environmental regulations than in the past.

Past Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness legislation 

The backstory:

Nearly 225,000 acres of federal land located in the Superior National Forest was previously protected by a 20-year mining moratorium instituted by the Biden administration.

The decision issued by the U.S. Department of the Interior in 2023 limited a significant portion of one of the largest undeveloped deposits of copper, nickel, cobalt and other metals in the world.

In its wake, the decision dealt a blow to the Twin Metals mine near Ely, Minnesota, and other potential mines within the watershed of the BWCA.

Twin Metals had previously proposed a $1.7 billion underground copper-nickel mine near Ely, just south of the Boundary Waters, before the Biden administration canceled two federal mineral leases held by the company along Birch Lake in the Superior National Forest.

The leases are required to mine the underground metals, which once mined, are critical for the manufacturing of electric vehicle batteries, solar panels, wind turbines and other tech commonly used today.

US House vote:

On Jan. 21, the U.S. House of Representatives voted 214-208 in favor of Resolution 140, introduced by Minnesota Rep. Pete Stauber, to overturn the Biden administration’s 20-year ban.

The resolution was sent to the U.S. Senate, which is also Republican-controlled.

Although the bill does not specifically mention or approve of any mining project, opponents say that overturning the federal withdrawal could reopen a path for proposals and approvals.

On his first day in office, President Trump signed executive orders rolling back environmental protections and reopening waters for drilling.

Any resolution approved by Congress reaching the president’s desk would likely then be signed into law without much further opposition.

EnvironmentPoliticsMinnesotaBusinessNews