The wilderness advocacy group, Friends of the Boundary Waters Wilderness, filed suit on Tuesday to halt construction of a 45-story cell-phone tower on a ridge close to the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness near Ely. The group says the AT&T tower, which will be lighted, will be visible from within the BWCAW.
“The scenic beauty of the Boundary Waters, a 1.1-million acre, federally-protected wilderness area, must be preserved now so the wilderness continues to be a natural, pristine and unspoiled environment for generations to come,” Paul Danicic, executive director of the organization, said in a media release.
You can read the full media release HERE.
The lawsuit was filed in Hennepin County District Court. It alleges a violation of the Minnesota Environmental Rights Act. The suit asks the court to stop construction of the proposed tower and declared that the construction of the proposed tower would violate Minnesota Environmental Rights Act.
Friends of the Boundary Waters says it attempted to engage AT&T in a discussion of alternatives to the tower, but was rebuffed. According to THIS Minnesota Public Radio story, AT&T is currently reviewing the lawsuit.