Biden Imposes 20-Year Mining Ban on 225,000 Acres Near Boundary Waters

The Biden administration imposed a 20-year ban on mining across 225,000 acres of the Superior National Forest adjacent to the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness in Minnesota. The ban blocked Twin Metals Minnesota — a subsidiary of Chilean company Antofagasta — from reapplying to build an underground copper-nickel mine near Ely. Interior Secretary Deb Haaland cited risks of irreversible water contamination to one of the most visited wilderness areas in the United States.