U.S. Sen. Tina Smith seeks GOP votes to halt overturning Boundary Waters mining ban

Environmental advocates are sounding the alarm as a proposal to overturn a mining ban near the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness in northern Minnesota steps closer to reality.  

The U.S. Senate is set to vote next week on overturning a 20-year mining ban in Minnesota's Cook, Lake and St. Louis counties. Former President Joe Biden signed the protection during the end of his time in office. 

In January, the House of Representatives narrowly passed a bill, introduced by Minnesota Republican Rep. Pete Stauber, to reverse the protection.

Outside the Minnesota State Capitol Wednesday, Democratic U.S. Sen. Tina Smith and other lawmakers were joined by environmental groups and outfitters that serve the Boundary Waters to say they don't want to see the bill pass.

"This place ranks with the Grand Canyon, and Zion, and Denali and Yellowstone as one of our most beautiful and sacred public lands, and it belongs to us," Smith said. "Protecting the Boundary Waters is not a partisan issue — it is an American issue."

Their fear is that copper mining projects will quickly move in, causing pollution and destruction to what has been protected land. 

"We appreciate that mining is crucial to our economy and our national security and our way of life, but that is not what this mine is about. This mine is about a very well-connected, foreign mining conglomerate, Antofagasta," Smith said. "It wants to develop this mine, dig up the copper, leave us with the mess, then send the metal most likely to China, and then sell it back to us or whoever is willing to pay the highest price."  

But mining groups say any projects would be heavily regulated and vetted, with protections in place. 

"We care deeply about the Boundary Waters, too, and we believe the process should play out as it was intended to. Overturning the withdrawal doesn't mean a mine tomorrow. It means the start of a conversation about a mine in the future," said Julie Lucas, of Mining Minnesota. "No one is going to permit a mine that harms the Boundary Waters."

Ahead of next week's vote, Smith and others are hopeful there's never a chance. 

"Not this mine, not this mine in this place, the risks are too high," Smith said.

Smith says she's hopeful she can convince four U.S. Senate Republicans to join a team of Democrats to block the bill from moving forward.