US Senate narrowly overturns Minnesota mining ban, sending bill to Trump

The U.S. Senate narrowly voted to overturn former President Joe Biden’s mining ban in northern Minnesota, agreeing with the House of Representatives and sending the bill to President Donald Trump, who is expected to sign it.

The move reverses Biden’s 20-year block on mining across 225,504 minerals-rich acres (91,200 hectares) in the Superior National Forest and gives a major boost to Antofagasta’s Twin Metals copper, cobalt and nickel project, as well as other proposed mines in the region bordering Canada.

“Passage of the Congressional Review Act (CRA) marks a critical moment for our nation’s ability to strengthen our mineral supply chains,” Kathy Graul, director of public affairs and communications for Twin Metals Minnesota told Mining Engineering. “Twin Metals Minnesota is one of several companies focused on responsibly developing the minerals in the Duluth Complex, which is the world’s largest known undeveloped copper, nickel, cobalt and platinum group metals deposit. A significant portion of these resources were locked up as a result of the mineral withdrawal enacted in 2023, negatively impacting communities across the Iron Range. Any proposed project in this region, including Twin Metals, must undergo a yearslong, multi-agency regulatory review before earning permits to begin construction of a mine. The CRA restores this process, and projects must prove they can meet the stringent environmental standards that have long been in place in Minnesota before moving forward. The Twin Metals team looks forward to a robust discussion and engagement with our communities through any future regulatory processes.”

Environmentalists have long worried that the mine could damage the water-rich region, which is visited by more than 200,000 hikers and canoeists each year. Mining companies have said they believe minerals can be extracted safely.

“We don’t need a mining ban for the entire watershed to protect the Boundary Waters,” Julie Lucas of Mining Minnesota told Mining Engineering. “They are already protected by strict federal and Minnesota laws that require environmental review and permitting processes for any proposed mine. Those processes are designed to rely on science, ask hard questions, protect our environment, and support Minnesota’s communities and its economy. 

“This vote does not open a mine. It opens the door for a transparent, science-based review.  Mining and environmental protections can co-exist, and our industry is committed to making sure that happens,” said Lucas.

The Senate voted 50-49 to send the measure to Trump, who campaigned in 2024 on overturning the ban. The House approved the bill in January.

Should Trump sign the bill, a future president could not replicate Biden’s ban because of a provision in the 1996 Congressional Review Act. The White House was not immediately available to comment.

Reuters first reported in January that Trump officials and legislators had launched a complex plan to reverse the ban using the novel claim that Biden had not properly informed Congress, a claim that conservationists have rejected.

Trump officials would still need to reissue mining leases to Chile-focused Antofagasta, which has been trying to develop the mine for decades on land controlled by the federal government. The mine would also need to undergo an environmental review and obtain permits.

The Senate vote is almost certain to escalate tension over where and how to procure minerals crucial for the electrified economy and national defense.

Congressman Pete Stauber, a Republican who represents northern Minnesota and sponsored the legislation, said Trump had told him he plans to sign the bill and that the Congressional Review Act could potentially be used to boost other U.S. mining projects.

“Yes, this might be precedent setting, but it’s the right thing to do to allow us to harvest our own natural resources,” Stauber told Reuters. “This will allow for other languishing projects to move forward.”

Save the Boundary Waters, a conservation group, called the vote “a dark day for America’s most beloved wilderness area” and vowed to fight the project.

“Minnesotans and the American public writ large have been loud and clear: this iconic place needs to be protected,” said Ingrid Lyons, the group’s executive director.

Earthjustice, The Wilderness Society, the Center for Western Priorities, Friends of the Boundary Water Wilderness and other conservation groups echoed their disapproval of the Senate’s vote, which was largely along party lines.

Antofagasta’s Twin Metals subsidiary said the bill’s passage reflects a “critical moment for our nation’s ability to strengthen our mineral supply chains.”

“The Twin Metals team looks forward to a robust discussion and engagement with our communities through any future regulatory processes,” said spokeswoman Kathy Graul.

Antofagasta has said it likely will export the mine’s critical minerals for processing overseas.