The U.S. Department of the Interior announced yesterday that it has renewed mineral leases necessary for the proposed Twin Metals copper-nickel mine. The step clears the way for Chilean company Antofagasta PLC to continue developing its mine proposal.
The renewal effectively reverses actions taking during the Obama administration to reject the leases. First secured in 1966, the leases pre-dated modern environmental review and lessons learned from numerous other mines. The Obama administration decided the company did not have a right to renew the leases perpetually, and found reason to reject them in late 2016.
Twin Metals still needs to take several significant steps before it can operate, including financing, environmental review, and receiving permits from federal and state authorities.
“This lease renewal is a critical step to allow us to present a proposal for our underground mine project,” said Kelly Osborne, Twin Metals’ CEO. “It’s very good news for us and for the communities in northeastern Minnesota who look forward to the hundreds of jobs and major economic development this mine will bring.”
The move was cheered by two Republican representatives from Minnesota who support the mine, including Rep. Tom Emmer of the St. Cloud area, and Rep. Pete Stauber, who represents the 8th District, home to the mine proposal. The pair attended the lease signing at the Bureau of Land Management (BLM), and issued a joint statement afterwards.
“Unfortunately, misinformed policies of the past have not only prevented the responsible development of our resources but have even prohibited companies like Twin Metals from even submitting a proposed mining plan,” said Stauber. “I applaud Secretary Bernhardt and the Trump Administration for putting politics aside and rightfully giving our miners the opportunity to meet or exceed all environmental standards.”
Twin Metals has previously stated it will seek to develop an underground mine near Birch Lake, southeast of Ely. Wilderness advocates say it poses serious risks of pollution to the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness, which is downstream on the South Kawishiwi River.
Opposition
In a nod to public opposition, the BLM says 39,000 public comments on its proposal to renew the leases influenced new stipulations. Primarily, it sets certain mine development milestones that must be completed in the next 10 years, or the leases could be cancelled. Open pit mining, which has not been considered by Twin Metals due to the depth of its mineral deposits, is also prohibited.
But wilderness advocates say the agency largely ignored both public opinion and sound science in a rush to renew the leases.
“It is now more clear than ever that the Trump Administration is steamrolling the American people and allowing a foreign mining company to write the rules when it comes to America’s most popular Wilderness,” said Tom Landwehr, executive director of the Campaign to Save the Boundary Waters.
The BLM pointed to guidance from the White House that influenced its decision to renew the leases, saying it is consistent with President Trumps’s Executive Order 13817 to develop mineral deposits on American soil.
Rep. Betty McCollum of St. Paul pledged to fight the proposal to the end.
“I strongly condemn the Department of Interior’s decision to issue these leases, and I will fight back alongside the environmental community, job creators in the outdoor recreation industry, and all Americans who value wilderness, pollution-free spaces, and a sustainable economy. President Trump, the polluters and the profiteers who exploit our environment must not be allowed to desecrate this special place,” said Congresswoman Betty McCollum. “This is a fight and we need to win so the BWCA can be protected forever.”
After the signing, Twin Metals announced that it plans to submit a mine proposal to state and federal agencies in the “coming months.” That process will trigger environmental review by state and federal agencies, including several opportunities for public input.
COPPER-NICKEL MINING PROJECTS IN MINNESOTA MILESTONES:
For more information
- BLM renews hardrock mineral leases in the Superior National Forest, Bureau of Land Management
- Twin Metals Lease Renewal, U.S. Forest Service
- Trump administration renews key leases for potential copper mine next to the BWCA, MPR News