Boundary Waters Sulfide Mining
The mines are not planned to be inside the parks boundaries, so it is a frequently disregarded problem. The trouble is that the pollution from sulfide mining leaches into the entire watershed, which threatens plant and animal species within the parks boundaries as well.
Several organizations such as savetheboundarywaters.org, and Earthworks are trying to raise awareness about this problem, but the Trump administration is pushing forward legislation that will allow the mines to be constructed.
Here, Spokesperson for Save the Boundary Waters Becky Rom explains the function of the campaign.
Next, she explains what makes the Boundary Waters so special.
The Boundary Waters, aside from being an incredible natural resource, are also extremely valuable economically. They bring significant percentages of income to nearby towns and outfitters. Rom further explains...
Here, Rom summarizes the multitude of threats that the Boundary Waters face due to the proposed mines.
For a better perspective, Rom will next show a map illustrating the entire watershed that is under threat.
Dr. Frelich, a guest speaker in this lecture, now gives insight into the pristine current state of the Boundary Waters.
Unfortunately, recent have only increased the threat that these mines pose. The Trump administration has reopened the area surrounding the wilderness area to mining, and the Department of Agriculture has canceled an environmental impact study into the case. This was heavily condemned by many environmental advocacy groups, who viewed the cancellation as a broken promise. An Minnesota Public Radio article explains further...
Finally, there are many misconceptions surrounding this issue, which Becky Rom will explain further here...