Biden Cancels Lease Renewals for Proposed Minnesota Mine

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — 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 it plans to fight the decision.

“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. We expect to prevail.”

Interior Secretary Deb Haaland said her department must be consistent in how it applies lease terms to ensure that no lessee receives special treatment.

“After careful legal review, we found the leases were improperly renewed in violation of applicable statutes and regulations, and we are taking action to cancel them,” Haaland said in a news release.

Twin Metals, which is owned by the Chilean mining giant Antofagasta, submitted its formal mine plan to federal and state regulators in 2019. The company said its design would prevent any acid drainage from the sulfide-bearing ore and protect the wilderness from pollution.

Environmental groups disputed that claim and challenged the lease renewals in court.