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Outdoor Insights: U.S. Senate repeal on BWCA watershed mining ban sparks anger — and a conservation reckoning

Drieslein would like to believe that sulfide-ore copper or nickel mining can happen safely and bring hundreds of high-paying jobs to Ely. "But I also know the history of this type of mining, and the track record isn’t pretty," he writes. (Photo by Rob Drieslein)

The U.S. Senate vote that repealed the moratorium on sulfide-ore copper mining in the Boundary Waters watershed last week felt inevitable after Donald Trump was elected president in 2024. Leading up to last Thursday’s action, insiders were telling me they had the votes to stop the repeal, then the White House got involved, twisted some arms, and the measure passed 50-49.

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