The U.S. Forest Service (USFS) has released its draft Environmental Assessment (EA) for the Boundary Waters watershed. The draft EA studied a 20-year ban on sulfide-ore copper mining, called a “mineral withdrawal,” on 225,504 acres of federal lands and minerals in the watershed of the Boundary Waters.

The USFS found that a 20-year mineral withdrawal would protect the Boundary Waters and its watershed from serious degradation that could result from proposed sulfide-ore copper mining. We have 30 days to comment in support for the findings of the EA. In order not to delay the approval process, we are asking that supporters of the USFS well-researched EA, sign the Comment Petition linked below.

“It is an important and inspiring thing when a tribe is exercising stewardship of clean water,” said Paula Maccabee, attorney and advocacy director for the environmental group WaterLegacy.

 “This is a huge victory. As of today, PolyMet’s water pollution permit has been thrown out by the Court. PolyMet no longer has a permit to mine, and they no longer have a water pollution permit. It is long past time for Minnesota to pull the plug on PolyMet and its parent mega-corporation Glencore.”

“When the community has asked ‘where is your hydrology evidence of where the pollution would go from Talon – into the drinking water and into the surface water?’, they have received no information whatsoever.”

The segment on environmental concerns with WaterLegacy Advocacy Director and Counsel Paula Maccabee begins around the 8:30 mark.