Officials Lay More Groundwork to Reinstate Mineral Leases Near BWCAW Despite Opposition

Twin Metals Minnesota has pursued the reinstatement of two mineral leases for nearly a decade. The company aims to construct a copper-nickel sulfide mining complex adjacent to Birch Lake Reservoir. The site is located roughly five miles from the BWCAW and nine miles southeast of Ely. Copper-nickel is used in industries that produce electric vehicles, clean energy technology, and other electronics. Lawmakers, environmental groups, and communities continue battling the issue on both sides.

In 2023, the Biden administration withdrew 225,000 acres of federal land in the Superior National Forest. Lawmakers now aim to override that 20-year ban and reopen those 225,000 acres to mineral leasing.

Rep. Pete Stauber (R‑MN‑8) reintroduced the Superior National Forest Restoration Act (H.R. 978) earlier this year. Since then, there has been a federal debate over reinstating mineral leases for Twin Metals Minnesota. More recently, Deputy Secretary of the Interior Kate MacGregor issued a memorandum reinstating a 2017 legal opinion that reinforced the groundwork for renewing leases for Twin Metals, a subsidiary of the Chilean mining company Antofagasta.