Mining could destroy the Boundary Waters

Meandering along the border of Minnesota and Ontario, the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness draws thousands of visitors annually to its sprawling patchwork of lakes and deep forests.

But in a blink, this idyllic landscape could be lost, rendered inhospitable by large-scale mining operations in the vicinity.

There’s nothing quite like canoeing the Boundary Waters.

Propelled by the steady push-pull of the paddle, you glide across the water. To your right, a common loon dives, leaving a glossy slick in its wake. To your left, a mother moose raises her head on guard as her calf chomps at a willow branch. The woods are alive with the whistle-chirps of warblers that flit through the lush canopy of birch and pine.

Unfortunately, this breathtaking landscape lies across one of the world’s largest undeveloped deposits of copper in the world, placing it at the nexus of a multiyear debate between mining companies and environmental advocates.

In 2023, the Interior Department placed a 20-year moratorium on mining near the Boundary Waters, but the only way to ensure long-term protection for the Boundary Waters is for Congress to act.

Rep. Betty McCollum (Minn.) has introduced the Boundary Waters Wilderness Protection and Pollution Prevention Act, a bill that would permanently protect 225,504 acres and land and water within the Superior National Forest from mining.

Toxic mining threatens the Boundary Waters.

The Boundary Waters are already under threat. For years Twin Metals, a mining company, has been attempting to build a copper mine directly outside the Canoe Area. Copper mines are notorious polluters — an analysis of 20 copper-nickel mines across the U.S. and Canada revealed that every mine had damaged the surrounding environment.

This type of mining produces acid runoff that can decrease water quality, contaminate soil and harm the fish and other wild animals throughout the ecosystem.

The risks posed by mining around the Boundary Waters are too high to leave to chance.

Help preserve this vibrant wilderness for generations to come by urging your U.S. House representative to support the Boundary Waters Wilderness Protection and Pollution Prevention Act.