Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-MN) criticized a Senate vote to overturn federal protections against mining in the watershed of Minnesota’s Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness.
In a post on X on April 16, 2026, Omar stated: “You can’t mine at Yosemite. You can’t mine at Yellowstone. You shouldn’t be allowed to mine in the Boundary Waters. Republicans are trying to sell out our most pristine waters to a foreign mining corporation. NO.”
The U.S. Senate voted 50-49 on April 15, 2026, to approve House Joint Resolution 140, which nullifies Public Land Order 7917, a 2023 rule that withdrew approximately 225,504 acres of National Forest System lands in Cook, Lake, and Saint Louis Counties, Minnesota, from mineral and geothermal leasing for 20 years.
H.J. Res. 140, introduced by Rep. Pete Stauber (R-MN), uses the Congressional Review Act to repeal the Bureau of Land Management’s withdrawal that protected the Rainy River Watershed, the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness, and the 1854 Ceded Territory of the Lake Superior Chippewa from potential effects of mineral development, Congress.gov records show.
The measure, which already passed the House, now heads to President Donald Trump for signature. The resolution would lift the 20-year moratorium on mining in the area and clear a path for further review of the Twin Metals Minnesota project, a subsidiary of Chilean-owned Antofagasta, the Washington Post reported.
Twin Metals Minnesota is seeking to develop an underground copper-nickel mine about two miles from the Boundary Waters, one of the most visited wilderness areas in the United States. Opponents have raised concerns about potential acid mine drainage and pollution that could flow downstream into the wilderness watershed.
Sen. Tina Smith (D-MN) spoke for nearly five hours on the Senate floor Wednesday evening in opposition to the resolution, urging colleagues to protect the pristine lakes and unspoiled vistas of the Boundary Waters. Two Republicans, Sens. Susan Collins of Maine and Thom Tillis of North Carolina, voted against the measure.
A spokesperson for Twin Metals called the vote “a critical moment for our nation’s ability to strengthen our mineral supply chains” and said any project would still need to undergo years of regulatory review and meet Minnesota’s environmental standards.
Environmental advocates criticized the Senate’s action. “Today, the Senate sacrificed the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness to foreign mining interests — plain and simple,” said Ingrid Lyons, executive director of Save the Boundary Waters.
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