Sign Petition to Protect the Boundary Waters from Toxic Mining—by July 28

From PennEnvironment (http://www.pennenvironment.org):

The U.S. Forest Service just proposed a 20-year ban on dangerous sulfide-ore copper mining in the watershed of the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness.

This stunning place could soon be protected from toxic mining — if enough people voice their support for protecting it.

The Forest Service is accepting public comments on this proposal through July 28. Will you sign our petition to protect the Boundary Waters today at https://pennenvironment.webaction.org/p/dia/action4/common/public/?action_KEY=50934?

The Boundary Waters is America’s most popular wilderness area, encompassing more than a thousand lakes along the border of Minnesota and Ontario.¹ Wildlife including wolves, moose and hundreds of species of birds call the surrounding boreal forest home.^2,3

Sulfide-ore copper mining would directly threaten this ecosystem, releasing toxic by-products including sulfuric acid, sulfates, and dangerous heavy metals such as arsenic and mercury — none of which belong anywhere near our precious wilderness areas.⁴

The threat of sulfide-ore copper mining has loomed over the Boundary Waters for years, most recently with the Twin Metals mine.⁵

In January, after PennEnvironment and our national network sent more than 13,000 messages to the Biden administration urging it to protect the Boundary Waters from the Twin Metals mine, the administration heard our call and canceled the two federal mining leases held by the company in northeastern Minnesota.⁶

If the proposal to institute a 20-year ban on sulfide-ore copper mining in 225,000 acres of Superior National Forest is finalized, that would take this win a step further and ensure no mine can threaten the pristine waters of this wilderness area.

Tell the Forest Service to protect the Boundary Waters from toxic mining before the comment period closes on July 28.

1. “Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness,” Explore Minnesota, last accessed June 23, 2022.
2. Ellen Montgomery, “Statement: Department of Interior delivers win for wild spaces by canceling leases near Boundary Waters wilderness,” Environment America, January 26, 2022.
3. “Nature & Science,” Superior National Forest, last accessed June 23, 2022.
4. Tom Tidwell, “Let’s prevent irreparable harm to an irreplaceable wilderness area,” The Hill, January 17, 2020.
5. Chris D’Angelo, “Biden Administration Revokes Mining Leases Near Minnesota’s Boundary Waters,” Mother Jones, January 28, 2022.
6. Dino Grandoni, “Biden administration cancels two mining leases near Minnesota wilderness, in reversal of Trump-era decision,” The Washington Post, January 26, 2022.