WASHINGTON D.C. — Congressional lawmakers advanced a House resolution Wednesday that would lift a 20-year ban on mining near Minnesota’s Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness, sending the measure to the U.S. Senate for consideration.

The Biden-era moratorium covers about 225,000 acres of federal land in the Superior National Forest, south of the Boundary Waters but within the same watershed. Supporters of the resolution say it would remove what they describe as an overly broad restriction without automatically approving any specific mining proposal.

“For the umpteenth time, there will be no mining in the Boundary Waters, and there will be no mining in the buffer zones around the Boundary Waters,” said Rep. Pete Stauber. He added, “This CRA will not green-light any proposed project. All it does is remove the dangerous, misguided ban that stops us from considering any project.”

Opponents argue that lifting the ban risks long-term environmental damage to a sensitive, water-rich ecosystem. Rep. Kelly Morrison said, “Minnesotans do not want a toxic mine on the watershed of the Boundary Waters. In fact, 70% of Minnesotans want permanent protection for the Boundary Waters, our state’s crown jewel.” Morrison also warned that “copper sulfide mining is the most toxic industry in America, and it is particularly ill-suited to water-rich environments.”

Concerns were also raised about whether potential mining would benefit national security. Rep. Betty McCollum said, “They send it to China, where it’s melted, and then it’s sold on the open market, or it’s used for its own defense weapons. This resolution is not about national security; this is about water.”

Stauber countered that domestic mining could reduce reliance on foreign sources. “We will not rely on China or other adversarial nations. We can do it. This can be a win, win, win. If anybody knows how to mine, it’s the Minnesota miner,” he said.

The push to end the ban comes as a Chilean mining company considers a proposed copper mine in the Superior National Forest near the wilderness area, a project conservation groups say could contaminate the shared watershed. Morrison said, “Allowing a Chilean mining company to extract copper from our public lands, destroy the Boundary Waters, and send minerals to benefit billionaire owners and China will not protect our national security.”

The Senate is expected to take up the resolution next.