July: Boundary Waters
This month's 'Take Action' centers on a conflict over future of the Boundary Waters Wilderness, and the intersection of the environment and the economy.
What's the issue?
Boundary Waters is a massive wilderness preserve near the Canadian border, part of the Superior National Forest. It encompasses millions of acres of lakes and woodlands, and is the most-visited wilderness area in the United States. It's a treasured haunt of canoers, kayakers, hikers, hunters, and fishers. Through the years, advocates have worked hard to keep this unique habitat intact and to limit pollution and damage.
“The Boundary Waters is being challenged by forces unlike anything we’ve seen in decades, if not a century,” - Becky Rom, chairwoman of Save the Boundary Waters
This year, a Chilean mining company moved forward with plans to open a copper mining operation on the edge of the Boundary Waters Wilderness. The promise is that this mine will bring jobs back to the region; but no one is sure how long those jobs will last. Meanwhile, it's expected that discharge and disruption from the mines could pollute the Boundary Waters for up to 500 years and permanently damage the wilderness, significantly affecting the animals and people that live there. And to make matters worse, the company proposing the mine has a poor record of containing and mitigating toxic waste clean-up.
Mining doesn't sound like such a huge deal...
It is though. Mining is extremely damaging to the environment and can have permanent effects on habitat (and the animals and people who depend on it). The Environmental Law Alliance provides a great chapter on all the nitty-gritty details of what actually happens when a mine sets up shop. And just for fun, I'd like to point out that the EPA currently has fourteen pages of mining-related superfund sites that it's managing.
[Click here if you just asked "what's a superfund site?"]
So yes, suffice it to say - opening up a mine on the edge of a wilderness is a big deal, and is almost guaranteed to go poorly.
Where can I learn more?
Visit the official Save the Boundary Waters website for an interactive overview of the conflict.
This article from Outside Magazine gives a great overview of the issue, as well as the impact that will be felt by the destruction of the Boundary Waters Wilderness.
This article from the New York Times lends insight into the powerful political and monetary forces behind this proposed mine.
How do I get involved?
The Save the Boundary Waters website has many ways to add your voice to this issue, including writing to your elected representative, donating to the organization, and directing local advocacy efforts.
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