ELY — President Donald Trump has officially notified Congress of the Biden administration’s 2023 ban on mining near the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness.
It’s a move 8th District Congressman Pete Stauber, R-Minnesota, said corrects a failure and will pave the way for the state's mineral future.
"This dangerous and illegal mining ban was thrust upon my constituents and our way of life in Northern Minnesota and put our nation’s mineral security in jeopardy," Stauber stated in a news release.
Biden, working with his Department of Interior, implemented the 20-year mining ban across more than 225,000 acres in the Superior National Forest.
Trump’s administration determined the Biden administration failed to properly notify Congress about the ban, according to a news release. Under the Federal Land Policy and Management Act, the interior secretary is required to notify Congress of such a withdrawal.
Stauber said he plans to introduce a resolution under the Congressional Review Act to nullify Biden’s mineral ban.
“Northern Minnesota mined the iron ore [that] won this nation two World Wars and we will mine the copper, nickel, and other critical minerals that will allow the United States to compete and win in the 21st Century," Stauber stated.
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