Senate Pauses Boundary Waters Mining Ban Vote

0:00It's April 16th. This is California News Today. Local news powered by AI. The U.S. Senate just hit pause on a big vote to scrap protections for Minnesota's boundary waters canoe area wilderness. They were set to lift a 20-year mining ban that the Biden administration put in place back in 2023. That ban covers nearly 225,000 acres in the Superior National Forest, blocking sulfide or copper mining right next to this. Senator Tina Smith from Minnesota took the floor to protest, vowing to hold it for hours to rally opposition. Her move delayed the vote until Thursday, April 16th. This all stems from a project by Twin Metals, a foreign-owned company eyeing a $1.7 billion underground mine near Ely for copper. Nickel and Cobalt Metals key for electric vehicle batteries and clean energy tech. Senators like Amy Klobuchar are fired up against it, calling the move an unprecedented power grab that could hurt other public lands too.

1:01Environmentalists warned the risks to millions of gallons of freshwater lakes outweighs any jobs or minerals. On the flip side, folks like Rip Pete Stauber argue it's time for responsible U.S. mining to cut reliance on China and boost manufacturing. The House already passed the resolution 14-208 in January, and with a Republican Senate, it's got momentum. Mining the ban wouldn't greenlight any mine automatically. It'd just restart federal permitting. Keep an eye on that Thursday vote, it'll shape whether the boundary water stays untouched or opens up for the mineral rush we need to stay. Competitive