MINNEAPOLIS — The Biden administration on Wednesday canceled two minerals leases for the proposed Twin Metals copper-nickel mine in northern Minnesota, likely killing a project widely condemned for being too close to the pristine Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness.
The huge underground mine would have tapped major reserves of copper and nickel, minerals key to a low-carbon economy, but also posed serious risks of contaminating the many waters surrounding it with sulfide and toxic heavy metals. Polls showed many Minnesotans did not support creating a heavy industrial operation at a gateway to the country's most visited wilderness.
The boreal outback covers more than 1 million acres, a maze of lakes and streams and wetlands where motorized boats are not allowed.
