Biden cancels Trump-era lease renewals for proposed Minnesota mine – By Dave Kolpack (Associated Press) / January 26, 2022
The Biden administration on Wednesday canceled a move by former President Donald Trump to renew mineral rights leases for a proposed Twin Metals copper-nickel mine in northeastern Minnesota.
Trump had signed an order a month before the 2020 presidential election declaring a national emergency over the country’s reliance on imported metals used to manufacture computers, smartphones, batteries for electric cars and other items.
The reversal by Biden on the two leases follows an October decision to move forward with a study that could lead to a 20-year ban on mining upstream from the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness.
Twin Metals said in a statement that the decision was political and the company will not let it kill the project.
“The federal government’s reversal of its position on the mineral leases that Twin Metals Minnesota and its predecessor companies have held for more than 50 years is disappointing, but not surprising given the series of actions the administration has taken to try and shut the door on copper-nickel mining in northeast Minnesota,” the company said. “We will challenge this attempt to stop our project and defend our valid existing mineral rights.
