Mapping the threat: Twin Metals’ potential path of pollution
To illustrate the threat of mining pollution, media site More Than Just Parks has launched an immersive online experience in collaboration with Save the Boundary Waters. The project features an interactive map and historical data detailing how contamination from the proposed Twin Metals mine could spread through the Rainy River watershed.
For the past decade, the proposed Twin Metals mining plan has drawn national attention as the federal government and environmental groups clash over the site. While proponents emphasize economic benefits, critics warn that copper-nickel mining could permanently impact the interconnected waterways of the BWCAW, Quetico and Voyageurs National Park.
The water, and potential contamination, flows north
Twin Metals, owned by Chilean company Antofagasta, is seeking to reinstate two mineral leases to mine copper, nickel, cobalt, and platinum near the shores of Birch Lake, located about 9 miles from Ely. If the proposal moves forward, the 1,156-acre complex would include forest, wetlands, and a 653-acre tailings storage site.
Water flows north from Birch Lake into White Iron Lake, then continues into Farm and Fall Lakes, connecting these waterways to the Boundary Waters and beyond. While the interactive maps trace the potential path of toxins in pixels, the photographs below capture the actual waters currently at stake.
Map project launches as Senate moves to overturn mining ban
On their Facebook page, More Than Just Parks stated, “We’ve been working on something for months. Today we’re launching it. In partnership with Save the Boundary Waters, we built an interactive investigation into the Twin Metals copper mine and HJR 140, the resolution that would greenlight it.” They added that “You’ll watch contamination spread across a 3D satellite map of the Boundary Waters, lake by lake. You’ll see the food web collapse through an underwater particle visualization. You’ll scroll through a decade of political deals that brought us here.”
More Than Just Parks is the independent media site of Jim and Will Pattiz. They’ve spent years exploring America’s public lands. Through their film work, writing, and interactive presentations, they share some of the challenges that America’s public lands face, including privatization, federal staffing cuts, and the impacts from industries such as mining and logging.
