{"database": "press", "table": "releases", "rows": [["https://nolan.house.gov/the-monday-report/not-even-close-309-to-99", "Not even close: 309 to 99!", "2017-12-04", "2017", "2017-12", "Democrat", "House", "MN", "Rick Nolan", "N000127", "nolan.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "House Overwhelmingly Passes Nolan\u2019s Superior National Forest Land Exchange Bill\u00a0 \n Bipartisan Margin was 309-99 \n\u00a0Under our Superior National Forest Land Exchange bill, taxpayers will receive more lakeshore, more timber, more wild rice waters, and more wetlands for public enjoyment and recreation.\nDear Friend,\u00a0\nBy a huge, bipartisan margin of 309-99, the House last week passed my Superior National Forest Land Exchange bill \u2013 a measure to finalize the long-awaited land swap between the U.S. Forest Service and PolyMet Mining. Whether or not a mining project is ever approved,\u00a0the bill is a big win for taxpayers who get more lakeshore, more timber, more wild rice waters, and 2,000 acres of additional wetlands.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 In return, the Forest Service is trading public lands already surrounded by old mining sites, with no public access. PolyMet already owns the mining and mineral rights to the acres they would receive.\u00a0  \n\t\u00a0\n\u00a0  Click on the screen above to hear my speech on the floor of the House explaining our Superior National Forest Land Exchange bill. The map on the screen, which I used to help explain the bill to my colleagues, is directly below.\u00a0\n\u00a0\n\tAs I explained to my colleagues, the proposed PolyMet mining site is located below the Continental Divide, and the BWCA is located above the divide. And since water doesn\u2019t flow up hill, the PolyMet site is not in the same watershed as the BWCA. Therefore, it is physically and geologically impossible for any water that flows from a PolyMet site to pollute the BWCA waters.\u00a0\u00a0\nNorthern Minnesota has the cleanest water in the state \u2013 and we are determined to keep it that way.\u00a0 We\u2019ve been mining up here on the Iron Range for more than 130 years, and our waters are the cleanest and purest in the state.\u00a0Pollution increases dramatically as the Mississippi and other rivers and streams flow south through the Twin Cities.\u00a0Runoff from farms and factories have even forced some communities in Western Minnesota to pipe in clean drinking water.\u00a0\n\u00a0  This map shows how pollution in the Mississippi River watershed is relatively minimal in Northern Minnesota, but begins to increase dramatically from urban lawns, industrial wastewater, and agriculture as the river flows through Central Minnesota and on through the Twin Cities metropolitan area.\nAs a leader in the original effort that established the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness (BWCA), I\u2019m committed to protecting ALL of our waters.\u00a0And as Governor Dayton\u2019s water quality campaign has demonstrated, there is much to do in parts of the state where mining isn\u2019t happening.\u00a0\n NO mining project authorized, and NO mining in the BWCA \u2013 EVER! \nNow to be clear \u2013 our land exchange bill does NOT authorize any mining project \u2013 does NOT interfere in any way with state and federal entities that must approve any mining project going forward \u2013 and does NOT affect the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness (BWCA).\u00a0\nIn that regard, it is important to understand that the proposed PolyMet mining site is below the Continental Divide, and the BWCA is above the divide. Since PolyMet is not in the same watershed as the BWCA,\u00a0it is physically and geologically impossible for any water that flows from the PolyMet site to pollute the BWCA waters.\u00a0\nRigorous environmental review and wide-ranging local support across Northern Minnesota\u00a0 House approval of the measure comes after\u00a0seven years of rigorous environmental review for the land exchange itself \u2013 and 12 years of rigorous ongoing environmental review of the proposed PolyMet copper and nickel mining project\u00a0on Minnesota\u2019s Iron Range.\u00a0 These are all big reasons why the land exchange enjoys such overwhelming support\u00a0from communities, business leaders, civic groups, economic development organizations, unions and folks all across our region \u2013 along with a bipartisan majority of our Minnesota Congressional Delegation, our two U.S. Senators, our Governor, and Democratic and Republican leaders in the Minnesota Legislature.\nAdvancing good-paying jobs and America\u2019s \u2018green\u2019 economy And by removing a key impediment to the PolyMet project, the bill is a win for the future of copper and nickel mining and good paying mining jobs on Minnesota\u2019s Iron Range.\u00a0The Range needs those good jobs, and our Nation needs the strategic minerals\u00a0absolutely critical to our defense, technology, and medical research \u2013 and to advancing our \u201cgreen\u201d economy and addressing the challenge of global warming and climate change.\u00a0 Our bipartisan land exchange bill must still clear the Senate and be signed by the President. But overwhelming passage by the House is\u00a0a big step forward in ensuring generations of good-paying 21st Century mining jobs here in Northern Minnesota.\n  \n\tWe will keep you posted as events proceed. Meanwhile, I want to hear your thoughts. Feel free to contact any of our offices listed below or\u00a0send me an email.\nSincerely,  \n\u00a0\nYou can read the full letter HERE.", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"]], "columns": ["url", "title", "date", "year", "month", "party", "chamber", "state", "member_name", "bioguide_id", "domain", "scraper", "source", "date_source", "text", "has_text", "collected_at", "updated_at"], "primary_keys": ["url"], "primary_key_values": ["https://nolan.house.gov/the-monday-report/not-even-close-309-to-99"], "units": {}, "query_ms": 2.674554008990526, "source": "dwillis/congress-press", "source_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press", "license": "MIT", "license_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press/blob/main/LICENSE"}