releases: http://nolan.house.gov/media-center/in-the-news/mesabi-daily-news-twin-metals-leases-are-denied
Data license: MIT · Data source: dwillis/congress-press
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| http://nolan.house.gov/media-center/in-the-news/mesabi-daily-news-twin-metals-leases-are-denied | Mesabi Daily News: TWIN METALS LEASES ARE DENIED | 2016-12-16 | 2016 | 2016-12 | Democrat | House | MN | Rick Nolan | N000127 | nolan.house.gov | legacy | ELY — The U.S. Forest Service and the U.S. Bureau of Land Management Thursday denied renewal of two long-held federal mineral leases for the Twin Metals copper-nickel mining project near Ely. In denying renewal of the leases, the U.S. Department of the Interior and the Department of Agriculture said they were taking “important steps to protect the watershed of the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness.’’ Twin Metals, however, did not share the same view in a news release issued Thursday. “Twin Metals is greatly disappointed in the action announced today by the BLM and the USFS to deny renewal of two of the company’s long-standing and valid mineral leases in Minnesota, and to initiate actions to withdraw federal lands and minerals from future exploration and development. If allowed to stand, the BLM-USFS actions will have a devastating impact on the future economy of the Iron Range and all of Northeast Minnesota, eliminating the promise of thousands of good-paying jobs and billions of dollars in investment in the region. Further, this unprecedented decision is contrary to the overwhelming majority of local and regional citizens and communities who support mining and believe mining can be done responsibly in this region.’’ The action’s impact on the $2.8 billion mine project, which would have created hundreds of jobs, is not fully known, but it is clearly a major obstacle to Twin Metals’ plans. “While Twin Metals is assessing the impact of the agencies’ lease renewal decision, the company is committed to progressing our project forward and will continue to pursue legal avenues to protect our contractual mineral rights,’’ a news release said. The federal agencies also initiated steps to withdraw key portions of the watershed from new mineral permits and leases. “The Boundary Waters is a natural treasure, special to the 150,000 who canoe, fish, and recreate there each year, and is the economic life blood to local business that depend on a pristine natural resource,” said Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack. “I have asked Interior to take a time out, conduct a careful environmental analysis and engage the public on whether future mining should be authorized on any federal land next door to the Boundary Waters.” Twin Metals states their company is in the early stages of developing a proposal for a modern, environmentally safe, underground copper-nickel mining project in the region which would provide hundreds of jobs for generations of Minnesotans. “Twin Metals’ leases have been held in good standing by the federal government for more than 50 years, and twice renewed without controversy. As stated in a federal lawsuit filed in September 2016, Twin Metals believes denial of the leases is inconsistent with federal law, the terms of leases themselves, and the federal government’s established precedent in supporting and renewing the leases over five decades,’’ the company’s news release states. Thursday’s decision had far-reaching impacts and responses from politicians across the state. Gov. Mark Dayton supported the decision. “Today’s announcement is tremendous news for the protection of the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness (BCWAW), a crown jewel in Minnesota, and a national treasure,’’ he said in a news release. “It is important to note that this decision is not in opposition to mining, but in defense of a pristine and priceless environmental wonder. We must continue doing all we can to support good jobs and a strong economy in Northeastern Minnesota, while ensuring the protection of our greatest natural resources. I thank Secretary Vilsack and Secretary Jewell for their exceptional leadership, to protect the BWCAW for all Minnesotans and for our country.” U.S. Rep. Rick Nolan called it anti-mining and anti-jobs. “Minnesota’s Iron Range got a real slap in the face and a punch in the gut by Washington bureaucrats this morning. The United States Forest Service (USFS) and the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) announced their joint decision to withhold and deny consent on two of Twin Metals’ leases, which were previously renewed twice without controversy. This decision denies Minnesota’s Iron Range the opportunity to explore a project in the area that would bring thousands of new, greatly-needed jobs to our region. The Washington bureaucrats have clearly overreached their authority. It’s an embarrassing shame that we can’t even use science and exploration to discover what we have before shutting it all down,’’ Nolan said in a news release. “Furthermore, I am stunned the administration chose to add insult to injury and propose to withdraw hundreds of thousands of acres of Superior National Forest land from mining.’’ The leases in question were issued by the federal government in 1966 with a right of unlimited, successive 10-year renewals, according to Twin Metals. The leases were renewed by BLM without controversy in 1989 and again in 2004. Twin Metals filed the current lease renewal application in mid-2013. Twin Metals has invested more than $400 million to date in acquisition, exploration, technical, environmental, and other project development activities. If not overturned, the decision to deny renewal of the leases threatens to deprive northeastern Minnesota of the potential for hundreds of future jobs and billions of dollars in environmentally-responsible economic development.’’ Rep. Rob Ecklund, DFL-International Falls, Rep. Jason Metsa, DFL-Virginia, and Sen. David Tomassoni, DFL- Chisholm, from the DFL Iron Range Delegation released the following joint statement on the federal government’s anti-mining and anti-jobs announcement: “We, as Iron Range legislators, strongly object to today’s Washington overreach to kill a $2.8 billion project on the Iron Range. Just when the Iron Range has started to pick itself up, we get another blow. Two federal agencies drastically overstepped their bounds today by using a back-door tactic to destroy the promise of thousands of potential good-paying jobs in our region. We encourage these agencies to reverse course and renew the two Twin Metals leases.” “The DFL Iron Range Delegation has always advocated for science to dictate how and whether any mining project should proceed. This blatant federal obstruction prevents the engineers and scientists from answering even basic questions about the Twin Metals project — shameful. We will work closely with Congressman Rick Nolan and anyone else willing to ensure all mining projects are assessed by the proper and vigorous review process that is in law.” In not consenting to the lease renewals, the Forest Service cited the potential risk of environmental contamination of the surrounding watershed as a key concern. The two leases are located directly adjacent to and within three miles of the BWCAW, respectively. It is well established that acid mine drainage is a significant environmental risk at sulfide ore mine sites like the one proposed for these leased lands and in a water-based ecosystem like the Boundary Waters because contaminated water could have dramatic impacts to aquatic life, sport fisheries, and recreation-based uses and communities, the Forest Service contends. The Forest Service also submitted an application to the Secretary of the Interior to withdraw key portions of the watershed that flows into the BWCAW from new mineral permits and leases, according to a BLM news release. “The BLM will review the withdrawal application and issue a notice in the Federal Register to segregate the lands – essentially, place them in a ‘time out’ – for up to two years, subject to valid existing rights. To preserve the status quo during that ‘time out,’ no new mineral exploration or development applications would be accepted while a thorough, scientific environmental analysis is conducted. Upon publication of the Federal Register notice, there will be an initial 90-day public review period for the proposed withdrawal and additional analysis during the segregation period that will include further public involvement, including public meetings. “During the segregation period, BLM and the Forest Service will conduct an environmental analysis to determine if the lands should be withdrawn for a period of 20 years.’’ Nolan said “this goes in direct contradiction to the spirit, intent and letter of the law in the 1978 BWCA multiple-use compromise. This law established the area as predominantly non-motorized, taking millions of acres of lands out of valuable production. The law explicitly reserved lands outside of BWCA in the Superior National Forest for forestry, and management plans were established that included mining and mineral exploration, which was designated a ‘desirable activity.’ I am also deeply concerned that the agencies failed to clarify whether they intend the segregation and withdrawal action to apply to taconite mining, now or in the future.’’ The U.S. representative is not giving up by any means. “We intend to work in the next Congress with the new administration to ensure that we allow all mining initiatives to proceed through the proper rigorous and thorough process, using science, facts and technology to guide our decisions,’’ Nolan stated in a news release. | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z |