This week marks the official start of cabin season. It also marks the kick-off of Mining Truth, an initiative encouraging Minnesotans to learn more about sulfide mining – a controversial issue facing all Minnesotans, especially those who live, work or travel in the northern part of our state.

Sulfide mining produces metals like copper, nickel and gold, but its byproducts include sulfuric acid and toxic contaminants. Two sulfide mines are proposed in Minnesota’s lake country, one near Lake Superior and one near the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness. The two mining companies, PolyMet and Twin Metals, have active drilling activities underway to support their proposals.

Who’s Behind Mining Truth?
Mining Truth is a coalition led by three organizations: Conservation Minnesota, Friends of the Boundary Waters Wilderness and the Minnesota Center for Environmental Advocacy (MCEA). Their goal is to engage all Minnesotans – including mining companies, non-profit organizations, businesses, policy makers and private citizens – in a respectful, open, fact-based dialogue about the issue. Mining Truth recognizes this issue is controversial, emotional and has far-reaching implications, but believes the best outcome will be achieved when all voices are heard.

This Is Not Your Grandfather’s Iron Mining
“Today, there is little awareness about sulfide mining – it’s very different from the iron ore mining that is more familiar to Minnesotans,” said Paul Danicic, executive director of Friends of the Boundary Waters Wilderness and founding member of Mining Truth. “This is a complex issue with long-term economic and environmental implications. We need a broad conversation about this and hope others will learn more, join the conversation and form their own opinions.”

What Can You Do?
Mining Truth is asking for 1,000 businesses, non-profit organizations, elected officials and individuals to take the “Take Two, Ask Two” pledge by Memorial Day. The pledge is a promise to take two minutes to learn about sulfide mining, and then ask two friends to do the same. The pledge and more information can be found at MiningTruth.org or on the Mining Truth Facebook page.

“The evidence shows there is reason to be cautious about effects on our lakes, rivers and groundwater, but we also recognize that the immediate need for jobs in Northern Minnesota is real,” said Paul Austin, executive director of Conservation Minnesota and founding member of Mining Truth. “Mining Truth is intended to give Minnesotans access to information on all aspects of the issue – including economic, environmental and policy views – and to encourage a respectful and healthy conversation by anyone who wants to join.”

Mining Truth resources include:

• MiningTruth.org – an online resource for sulfide mining-related news and informatiom
• A Mining Truth Facebook community for the exchange of ideas and opinions
• The Mining Truth Report (PDF) – A comprehensive, resource guide that provides third-party data, research and information about sulfide mining
• A billboard campaign along I-35 between the Twin Cities and Duluth to support issue awareness
• Community events planned throughout the summer

“There will be critical opportunities throughout the decision-making process for people to share their views on this issue, and every person’s voice matters when it comes to our state’s future,” said Danicic. “That’s why it’s so important for Minnesotans to take the time this summer to learn the facts.”

Who Else Is On Board?
“We must clearly understand what’s at stake, pro and con, on this issue,” said Scott Strand, executive director of MCEA and a founding member of Mining Truth. “We need to hear from all interested Minnesotans when it comes to jobs and the economy, our natural resources including the Boundary Waters and Lake Superior, and revenue and taxpayer liability risks. We need to look at all of the evidence and make a conscious decision about the future of our State.”

In addition to its founding members, Mining Truth has received support to date from: Loll Designs, Environment Minnesota, Wintergreen Dogsled Lodge, and Protect our Manoomin.

To learn more about sulfide mining in Minnesota or pledge support to Mining Truth, visit MiningTruth.org.

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About Mining Truth
Mining Truth brings together a cross-section of Minnesotans to make sure everyone knows the truth about sulfide mining and its risks to Lake Superior, the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness and Minnesota’s future. Its goal is to provide credible resources and an open forum for discussion so that Minnesotans can make an informed choice about this important issue. Mining Truth was founded by Conservation Minnesota, Friends of the Boundary Waters Wilderness and the Minnesota Center for Environmental Advocacy (MCEA). For more information, visit www.MiningTruth.org.

About Conservation Minnesota
Started by volunteers in 1984, Conservation Minnesota (CM) is a statewide non-profit organization devoted to protecting our lakes, lands, and way of life. CM focuses on identifying and solving the conservation problems that matter most to Minnesotans and providing reliable information to help people make important decisions for their families and community. For more information, visit www.conservationminnesota.org.

About Friends of the Boundary Waters Wilderness
The Friends of the Boundary Waters Wilderness is a non-profit organization whose mission is to protect, preserve and restore the wilderness character of the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness and the Quetico-Superior ecosystem, a region that is one of our nation’s natural treasures attracting more than 250,000 visitors a year. Founded in 1976, the Friends works on behalf the Boundary Waters Wilderness through advocacy, education, and facilitating youth wilderness trips. For more information, visit www.friends-bwca.org.

About MCEA
The Minnesota Center for Environmental Advocacy (MCEA) is a nonprofit organization using law, science, and research to protect Minnesota’s natural resources, wildlife and the health of its people. Since it’s founding in 1974, MCEA has advocated for sound environmental policies which provide positive, long-term solutions to the most critical environmental issues facing Minnesota. At the heart of MCEA’s mission is a reverence for nature and a fundamental commitment to sustain and enhance environmental quality for the benefit of future generations. For more information, visit www.mncenter.org.

The Wilderness Society explains what the bill would do:

This benign-sounding proposal, “Sportsmen’s Heritage Act (H.R. 4089),” would more appropriately be titled the Motorize Our Wilderness Areas Bill. Originally introduced by Rep. Dan Benishek (R-MI), the bill contains within it a provision that would effectively destroy the Wilderness Act with wording that would allow motorized use in designated Wilderness Areas. Allowing motor vehicles in designated Wilderness Areas would would harm the very recreational fishing and hunting opportunities the bill is intended to protect.

Fishing and hunting are important activities on our public lands and forests, and a major contributor to local economies. And Wilderness Areas are especially attractive areas for hunting and fishing due to the high quality habitat in such areas, and for the unique outdoor experience they afford hunters and anglers. But H.R. 4089 has some “Trojan Horse” language in it which would result in the destruction of the very wilderness values that millions of American hunters and anglers cherish. To ensure protection of wilderness values, the Wilderness Act generally prohibits the use of motorized vehicles, motorized equipment and other forms of mechanical transport. However, a provision buried in H.R. 4089 would undermine the Act by opening designated Wilderness Areas to all-terrain vehicles, snowmobiles, motorbikes, motorboats and other motorized vehicles as long as they are used for hunting, fishing or shooting.

Please contact your Senators and share your concerns about this legislation. Visit the Senate’s website to find contact information. The Boundary Waters is America’s most popular wilderness, and people travel there for the unique experience of traveling by their own means.

The current law that governs hardrock mining on public lands already allows for open access to mineral resources – for free. Under the 1872 Mining Law, gold, copper, silver and uranium are mined bymultinational corporations without any return to the owner of the mineral, the taxpayer. Mining is also considered the “highest and best use” of public lands. As such, federal land managers cannot, and do not, deny mine proposals. In addition to the inadequacies of this antiquated law, the mining industry is also exempt from key provisions of some of our most important environmental laws, like the Clean Water Act.

HR 4402 makes the current environmental threats posed by hardrock mining worse. By truncating the permitting process and effectively eliminating meaningful environmental review, this legislation threatens water resources across the United States and limits the ability of mining-impacted communities to protect their land, water and health.

Mining at any cost

This bill allows federal agencies to exempt mining projects from review under the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 (NEPA). NEPA makes sure that in addition to government and industry input, everyday citizens can take part in the development and oversight of projects that affect our social, economic, and environmental health.

This legislation would run roughshod over the values of transparency and public participation that are at the heart of NEPA, the process that has allowed us to find out one of the most disturbing statistics about the nature of hardrock mines: 75% of them end up polluting surrounding surface or groundwater, in spite of this environmental review.

HR 4402 caps the length of the permit process to just 30 months and allows regulators to exempt mining projects from the Equal Access to Justice Act (EAJA) as well. EAJA is legislation that makes nonprofit environmental law firms possible, which allows average Americans to protect their communities and families from pollution. Impacted communities often cannot afford lawyers, much less the litany of scientific and technical experts needed to mount a serious challenge to a multinational mining company.

The legislation passed through the House Natural Resources Committee this week and is expected to be voted on by the entire body within a couple weeks. Please click here to find contact information for your U.S. Representative and share your concerns about this bill. Make sure to reference HR 4402 – National Strategic and Critical Minerals Production Act of 2012.

With new sulfide mines in the works in northern Minnesota, including next door to the BWCAW, it’s very dangerous to weaken protections for our water, wilderness, and health.

Lac la Croix, by Mary Jo Van Dell

“Northern Solitudes” will open June 8 at ArtReach St. Croix, featuring oil paintings by Mary Jo Van Dell and photography by John Kaul. Kaul primarily shoots photos in the St. Croix River watershed, while Van Dell’s focus is on the Boundary Waters.

The video below features their art, the artists and others involved with the show, including Paul Danicic and Greg Seitz of the Friends of the Boundary Waters Wilderness.

The show is co-sponsored by the Friends of the Boundary Waters Wilderness and St. Croix 360. The opening reception on Friday, June 8 is free and open to the public, and the show will run through July 14 at the nonprofit’s gallery across the street from the Stillwater Library.

Details:

• Who: Mary Jo Van Dell, John Kaul, ArtReach St. Croix, St. Croix 360, Friends of the Boundary Waters Wilderness
• What: “Northern Solitudes” art show
• Where: ArtReach St. Croix, 224 North 4th St., Stillwater
• When: Opening Reception Friday, June 8, 6 – 8 p.m., artist’s open house: Saturday, June 9, noon – 4 p.m., show runs until July 14
• R.S.V.P. and share on Facebook

Samples of art

The Boundary Waters Wilderness if facing an unprecedented threat in the form of sulfide mining. While this form of mining is not familiar to Minnesota, it has accumulated a nasty reputation across the country through its contamination of 40 percent of the watersheds in the western United States. Two major sulfide mining projects are currently being proposed right next door to the Boundary Waters, while numerous companies are engaging in exploratory drilling across northern Minnesota.

Unfortunately much of the public is still in the dark about the real dangers of sulfide mining, and that includes Minnesota’s lawmakers. Friends’ staff will be traveling to Washington, D.C next month to talk to Minnesota’s congressional representatives about how we can ensure the Boundary Waters and the region will be protected from the largest toxic-polluting industry around, but we’re going to need your help.

We’re asking supporters of the Wilderness to create a webcam testimonial telling us what it is you love about the BWCAW, and/or what you would want your representatives to know about sulfide mining next to the wilderness.

Creating a video is simple! You can record your video directly on YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/my_webcam or upload one from your own computer. When you’ve uploaded your video to YouTube send the linked video to erik@friends-bwca.org. We will share the videos with your elected officials while visiting them in Washington this June.

Watch my video for more information and to see just how easy it is to share your point-of-view:

• Rolls back Minnesota laws that protect clean water by reducing oversight of water quality permits
• Weakens wetland protections
• Exempts factory farms from air pollution permits
• Weakens water conservation laws
• Exchanges 100% of school trust lands in the BWCA with federal lands outside the BWCA – a magnitude of land that would radically change the Superior National Forest and likely increase mineral exploration and development proposals
• Makes unwarranted changes in the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency Citizens’ Board which weaken environmental review and public input to decision makers

Take Action

Ask your Representative to oppose rollbacks to water and health protections and limits to public participation and to vote “No” on the omnibus environmental bill H.F. 2164.  Ask the Governor to veto any bill that comes to his desk that contains these bad ideas.

• Find your representative in the Minnesota House of Representatives.
• Contact the Governor’s office.

Yesterday the Sled Dogs to St. Paul dogsled trip had a well attended send off event in Ely. Sue Schurke and David and Amy Freeman hosted the family-friendly gathering on Shagawa Lake which included a chance to visit with the mushers and the dogs, learn about and share perspectives on the proposed sulfide mines and clean water, and see the team off on their journey.  Northland News covered the event and featured the Friends staff Ian Kimmer.

The journey spans the length of the state to St. Paul to hand-deliver petitions in support of clean water to the capitol.  David and Amy will run their dog team from Ely to Finland where they will meet with mushers Frank Moe and Adam Harhu to hand over their petitions to be brought to St. Paul.

The Friends have now filed our reply to AT&T’s appeal, with the pro bono legal assistance of Robins Kaplan Miller & Ciresi LLP. Several other individuals and organizations also filed an amicus brief, or “friend of the court” brief, supporting our case. Both briefs are available to view below:

(Both links are to quite large PDF files.)

• Friends of the Boundary Waters Wilderness reply brief
• Amicus brief
  (Filed by the Minnesota Center for Environmental Advocacy, Parks & Trails Council of Minnesota, Northeastern Minnesotans for Wilderness, photographer Jim Brandenburg, and artist Jerry Raedeke)

A hearing in the case is expected later this spring.