1. United States
2. Letter

I urge you to oppose H.J. Res. 140, the Congressional Review Act resolution that would repeal the 20-year mining ban protecting 225,504 acres in the Superior National Forest. This resolution threatens the water quality of one of America's most pristine wilderness areas. The mining ban established through Public Land Order 7917 in January 2023 protects waterways in the Duluth Complex region from hardrock mining pollution. While proponents claim existing state and federal permitting processes provide adequate safeguards, the reality is that copper-nickel mining poses unique and severe risks to water resources. These operations generate acid mine drainage that can contaminate watersheds for generations, and no copper-nickel mine in the world has operated without water pollution incidents. The Superior National Forest contains the headwaters of critical river systems that flow into the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness, a resource that supports thousands of jobs in recreation, tourism, and guiding industries. These waterways provide drinking water for communities and habitat for fish populations that sustain both ecological health and local economies. Once contaminated by mining runoff containing heavy metals and sulfuric acid, these waters cannot be restored to their natural state. Repealing this protective measure through the Congressional Review Act is particularly concerning because it would prohibit the executive branch from taking substantially similar protective action in the future. This provision strips away the ability to respond to new scientific evidence about mining impacts or changing environmental conditions in this sensitive watershed. I ask you to vote against H.J. Res. 140 and preserve the mining ban that protects the Superior National Forest's irreplaceable water resources. The short-term economic arguments for mining do not justify the permanent damage to waterways that sustain both natural ecosystems and the recreation economy that employs thousands of Minnesotans.