The decision by the Biden administration is a significant setback for the proposed mine and the latest development in its long and contentious saga. The Twin Metals facility would be underground (photo/Serge Bertasius Photography) An abandoned open-pit mine of sulfide ore deposits in Sao Domingos, Portugal. According to CSBW, the method produces waste that leaches sulfuric acid, heavy metals, and sulfates into the surrounding air and water. The proposed mine would use sulfide-ore copper mining. But environmentalists disputed the claims, and advocacy groups like Campaign to Save the Boundary Waters challenged the company in court. Twin Metals claimed that its design would keep the watershed safe from acid drainage and other forms of pollution. Notably, the order will not halt all mining in the area - activity will continue nearby on existing, valid leases. The USFS review will focus on that location, just upstream of the BWCAW. The proposed $1.7 billion underground mine would be built along the shore of Birch Lake, some 7 miles southeast of Ely, Minn. Mine Shafted: Twin Metals’ Legal Challenges “Today, the Biden Administration is taking an important and sensible step to ensure that we have all the science and the public input necessary to make informed decisions about how mining activities may impact this special place.” “A place like the Boundary Waters should be enjoyed by and protected for everyone, not only today but for future generations,” Interior Secretary Deb Haaland said. And depending on the results of the BLM’s review, it could ban mining in the area for 20 years. The directive will prohibit any new mining permits or leases in the area for 2 years (including Twin Metals’). But after a lengthy federal review, the Department of Agriculture and the Department of the Interior filed an application for a “mineral withdrawal” in the area.Īs of its acceptance by the Bureau of Land Management (BLM), the application will initiate a 2-year environmental review by the BLM and the U.S. The watershed that feeds the most-visited wilderness area in the United States will not be the site of a major copper mine - at least for now.įor most of the last decade, Chilean-owned Twin Metals has lobbied to renew certain mining leases outside the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness (BWCAW). On Wednesday, the Biden administration dealt a significant blow to the proposed copper mine just upstream from the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness, the latest in its long history of controversy. The guitar is also extremely resonant and lightweight at only 7.2 lbs which makes it truly a joy to hold and play.Home » News » Biden Blocks Boundary Waters Mine: Twin Metals May Face 20-Year Ban Anything from sparkling clean to snarling mean is available courtesy of the 3-way big toggle pickup selector and a cut switch for each pickup. The tone is awesome and it's surprisingly versatile. Like all Tom Anderson guitars this one plays as good as it looks and all the details of the fit and finish are flawless. It's an incredibly comfortable guitar and balances great. Both pickups feature openface black covers for added sex appeal. Basically a Cobra Special with an Offset body style - It features the shorty 24 3/4" scale length, Mahogany Neck and Body with a beautiful Ziricote fingerboard (similar to Rosewood in look and tone but not on any endangered species lists at the moment) and a pair of great sounding Anderson pickups! It’s a combination that has become increasingly popular lately – and for good reason – It sounds great! The bridge pickup is an HC2 humbucker and the neck pickup is a PH1 (humbucker sized, hum-cancelling P-90). This particular model is called the Raven Superbird. Each Anderson Guitar is built to the highest standard of quality and represents the pinnacle of a true player's instrument. WoW! What an outrageously neat piece - And with a Red Logo too! The Raven Superbird is one of our favorite models from Tom Anderson Guitarworks and one mean machine! Tom Anderson has been building the highest quality boutique electric guitars for as long as anyone and his creations are right up there with the best of the best.