A study by a Harvard economist determined that “the economic benefits of mining would be outweighed by the negative impact of mining on the recreational industry and on in-migration,” considering the boom-bust nature of mining jobs. Graul says Twin Metals “expects to directly employ more than 750 people long term in northeastern Minnesota and to create an estimated 1,500 spinoff jobs in other industries.”īut even if the project did create that many additional jobs, they would be short lived. Others welcome additional jobs that wouldn’t depend on the seasons. Some say the potential environmental damage is too great a risk for tourism businesses. The town of Ely was built on mining, but residents today are split on the proposed mine, which would be Ely’s first in 50 years. Here, common loons start the day with a stretch. The Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness brings visitors up close to nature. “This specific type of copper-nickel mining has never been done before, so there are a lot of reasons why we oppose these mines,” says Pete Marshall, a spokesperson for the organization, which is a co-plaintiff with Save the Boundary Waters on two lawsuits against Twin Metals. While some environmentalists say dry stack storing is safer than the traditional method of storing tailings in a pond with a dam, Friends of the Boundary Waters Wilderness, isn’t convinced. The resulting sand-like “tailings” are then piled into a lined storage facility. Twin Metals spokesperson Kathy Graul says the company’s proposal, which is currently under environmental review, includes advanced technologies like the dry stack method “to protect the environment and minimize the project’s impact.” The method removes most of the water content from waste rock pulled from the ground. He granted the renewal in 2017, a move that’s part of his administration’s efforts to roll back a slew of environmental laws. That was reversed after President Donald Trump came into office. But President Barack Obama rejected the application in 2016. Twin Metals acquired those leases in 2012 and applied to renew them a few years later. ( Related: A proposed copper mine in Alaska puts a pristine wilderness at risk.)īefore the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness Act was passed in 1978, the Bureau of Land Management issued two 20-year mineral leases with the option for three 10-year renewals related to the Rainy River Watershed, which houses the BWCAW. “We definitely feel that the proposal for a copper mine outside the BWCAW is biggest threat in a number of ways,” he adds. The area is “critical habitat” for endangered animals including the Canadian lynx, gray wolf, and moose, notes Marc Fink, a senior attorney at the Center for Biological Diversity, which is part of the coalition. Led by Northeastern Minnesotans for Wilderness (NMW), the Campaign to Save the Boundary Waters has filed several lawsuits to stop the mine. Opponents say that the type of mining Twin Metals wants to do results in heavy metal runoff that would cause irreparable damage to the BWCAW’s lakes and rivers. But that project has stalled for now due to scrutiny over how regulators handled the process. Another company, PolyMet, has secured permits to build a mine near Lake Superior, outside of the BWCAW watershed. If approved, the mine would be located a few miles from the southern edge of the Boundary Waters, not far from Ely, a town of 3,356 people filled with outfitters and key entry points to the wilderness. It’s an area that Twin Metals, a subsidiary of Chilean mining giant Antofagasta, has spent years trying to tap via a proposed underground sulfide-ore copper mine. One of the richest loads-four billion tons of copper and nickel-is buried deep within the Duluth Complex, an ancient rock formation along Lake Superior that extends from the city of Duluth to the northeastern tip of Minnesota. The BWCAW isn’t just a haven for nature lovers it’s a trove of precious metals used to make a wide range of products, from electronics to roof gutters and aircraft engines. “Today I still feel the same humbled thrill when that rare opportunity arises.” Mining on the horizon “Fifty years ago, I made my first photograph of gray wolves here,” says photographer and Minnesota native Jim Brandenburg.
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