Cobalt and nickel mining is blocked due to the potential contamination of nearby rivers and lakes.
The “Twin Metals Project,” a major nickel and cobalt mine in northern Minnesota, has been blocked by the Department of the Interior. According to officials, 95 percent of America’s nickel reserve and 98 percent of American cobalt reserves are underground within the Superior National Forest in an area called the Duluth Complex.
Interior Secretary Deb Haaland in a press release said, “The Department of the Interior takes seriously our obligations to steward public lands and waters on behalf of all Americans. Protecting a place like Boundary Waters is key to supporting the health of the watershed and its surrounding wildlife, upholding our Tribal trust and treaty responsibilities, and boosting the local recreation economy.”
As the Lord Leads, Pray with Us…
- For federal officials as they seek to balance economic growth and environmental protections.
- For wisdom for Interior Secretary Deb Haaland as she leads the department in setting policy for America’s national forests.
Sources: AP, Reuters
