Earthjustice Action Blasts Republican-Led Effort to Sacrifice Boundary Waters for Dirty Mining

WASHINGTON, DC—Today, the U.S. House of Representatives passed H.J. Res. 140, a Congressional Review Act resolution to overturn a Biden-era mineral withdrawal protecting approximately 225,000 acres of land in the Superior National Forest near the Boundary Waters Canoe Wilderness Area from new mining. The resolution aims to invalidate the mineral withdrawal to allow for a major mining project to open just miles upstream of America’s most visited wilderness area.  

This is the first time Congress has used the Congressional Review Act to overturn a presidential mineral withdrawal, despite the fact that Public Land Orders have never been deemed eligible under the CRA. This is part of a larger pattern of using the arcane procedure in unconventional ways. Over the past year, Congressional Republicans have used the CRA to overturn numerous resources management plans and roll back California’s authority to set stronger clean air protections.    

After the vote, Earthjustice Action Legislative Director of Lands, Wildlife, and Oceans Addie Haughey issued the following statement: 

“Congress just clearly signaled that the profits of polluting industries are more important than our water resources, iconic wilderness areas, and the vibrant outdoor economy they sustain. In doing so, they ignored the voices of conservationists, hunters, anglers, small business owners, and local residents who have long advocated for protecting the Boundary Waters in favor of doing the bidding of a foreign-owned mining company ready to open a mine at the doorstep of our nation’s most-visited wilderness area. This is just the latest effort in a disturbing pattern of Congress sacrificing our beloved public lands for the benefit of polluting industries.” 

Earthjustice Action joined 80 organizations in sending a letter to House leadership urging them to oppose the resolution.