Stop The Toxic Mines Before They Poison The Boundary Waters Forever

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Sponsor: The Rainforest Site

The Boundary Waters are under attack—if we don’t stop sulfide mining now, this irreplaceable wilderness will be lost to toxic pollution, forever scarred by corporate greed.

Stop The Toxic Mines Before They Poison The Boundary Waters Forever

Minnesota’s Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness is a rare place. A million acres of lakes, rivers, and ancient forest. A refuge for wildlife. A home for Indigenous communities. A source of clean water that stretches far beyond state lines.

But that entire system is now at risk.

Foreign mining interests want to build sulfide-ore copper mines upstream from the Boundary Waters. These mines would sit within the Rainy River Watershed, which flows directly into the protected wilderness. The kind of mining proposed—copper-nickel sulfide mining—has never operated anywhere in the United States without polluting surrounding water1.

Toxic Mining, Permanent Damage

The science is clear. Sulfide mining in this area would release sulfuric acid and toxic metals into the water system, creating permanent contamination that no amount of cleanup can undo2. The Biden administration recognized this threat and imposed a 20-year moratorium on mining in the region. But now that safeguard is under attack.

The push to reverse the ban has already begun. Powerful voices in Washington are working to reinstate the mineral leases for Twin Metals, a Chilean-owned mining company whose proposed underground mine, tailings facility, and processing plant would sit just miles from the Boundary Waters' edge3.

A Bill That Could Stop It for Good

Senator Tina Smith of Minnesota has introduced a bill to make the current ban permanent. Her legislation would withdraw more than 225,000 acres of federal land in the Superior National Forest from sulfide mining—protecting the watershed that feeds the Boundary Waters for good4.

Opponents of the bill claim that blocking mining threatens jobs and economic development. But this is not a choice between employment and preservation. Minnesota’s economy already benefits from the Boundary Waters through tourism, recreation, and sustainable small businesses that depend on clean water and an untouched landscape5.

More Than Just a Local Issue

The region holds immense cultural value as well. It lies within the ancestral and modern homeland of the Anishinaabe people, whose way of life depends on healthy ecosystems. Sulfide mining would threaten wild rice beds, fish populations, and other natural resources they rely on2.

The risks are enormous. The reward? Short-term profit for foreign companies.

Now is the time to act. The Boundary Waters has not seen federal protection legislation of this scale since 1978. If this effort fails, the door opens to decades of environmental damage and corporate exploitation. Our clean water, public lands, and future deserve better.

Stand with us. Sign the petition to support a permanent ban on sulfide mining near the Boundary Waters.

More on this issue:

  1. Emy Minzel, MinnPost (12 Mar 2025), "Proposed legislation would safeguard Minnesota’s famed Boundary Waters."
  2. The Wilderness Society (9 Apr 2025), "Boundary Waters bill would protect watershed from mining; TWS applauds."
  3. Sydney Kashiwagi, Star Tribune (10 Apr 2025), "Tina Smith introduces bill in U.S. Senate to permanently protect BWCAW."
  4. Jimmy Lovrien, Twin Cities Pioneer Press (9 Apr 2025), "Smith introduces bill to ban copper-nickel mining in BWCA’s watershed."
  5. Dan Kraker, MPR News (9 Apr 2025), "Sen. Smith introduces bill to ban copper mining near the Boundary Waters."

The Petition

Dear Senator Tina Smith,

We, the undersigned, thank you for your leadership in introducing legislation to permanently ban copper-nickel and other sulfide-ore mining in the Boundary Waters watershed.

This unique wilderness, home to thousands of interconnected lakes and irreplaceable biodiversity, is too fragile to withstand the toxic risks posed by sulfide mining. Scientific studies and historical precedent make clear that pollution from such mines is inevitable and irreversible—threatening clean water, wildlife, and the cultural and recreational lifeblood of generations of Minnesotans and visitors alike.

This area is not just a state treasure; it is a national one. Protecting it ensures clean drinking water, economic stability through sustainable outdoor tourism, and respect for Indigenous lands and ecosystems.

We know that copper and other critical minerals are important to a clean energy future, but their extraction must not come at the expense of irreplaceable places like the Boundary Waters. Alternative sources and stricter regulations elsewhere are far better solutions than risking permanent contamination in one of America’s last truly wild landscapes.

We urge you to continue championing legislation that places environmental health above short-term industry gain. By safeguarding the Boundary Waters, you are securing a better, cleaner, and more equitable future for all.

Sincerely,