Senator Steve Cwodzinski (DFL-Eden Prairie) introduced the Boundary Waters Permanent Protections Bill (S.F. 763) Monday, to create protections for the Boundary Waters and the Rainy River Watershed by banning sulfide-ore copper mining on state-owned land.
“It is vital that we keep Minnesota’s natural resources safe and pristine. With the Boundary Waters Permanent Protection Bill, we will be creating a boundary to the Boundary Waters to keep it protected for the generations to come,” said Senator Cwodzinski, “Minnesotans have shown they care about the natural resources our state has to offer, and I am proud to author this bill to preserve state-owned lands and take steps to protect a place that is special to so many Minnesotans.”
Studies have shown the irrevocable damage mining can do to the environment surrounding their facilities. With this legislation in addition to the federal counterpart H.R. 5598, the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness (BWCA) and Rainy River Watershed will be protected from pollution caused by sulfide-ore copper mining. This protection to the hundreds of thousands of acres of wilderness will provide a buffer to an area that is essential to the people and businesses who rely on it.
“I am grateful for the leadership Representative McCollum has shown in advocating for stronger protections of our natural resources here in Minnesota,” Senator Cwodzinski said, “In my opinion, any risk is too much when it concerns a place that has provided a much-needed haven for so many Minnesotans.”
The Boundary Waters Permanent Protection Bill has currently been referred to the Mining and Forestry Committee where it is awaiting a hearing.
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