Congress Revives a Pollution Threat to the Boundary Waters
On January 21, 2026, the U.S. House of Representatives narrowly passed H.J. Res. 140 by a vote of 214–208, marking a significant escalation in efforts to revive copper-sulfide mining and resulting pollution near the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness.
Introduced by Representative Pete Stauber (R-Minn.), the resolution would allow the administration to reinstate federal mineral leases for Twin Metals, which is owned by Antofagasta Minerals—a company based in Chile. The resolution would reopen the door to mining immediately adjacent to the most visited wilderness area in the United States.
The stakes could not be higher. The Boundary Waters is a globally unique network of lakes, streams and forests that support clean drinking water, world-class recreation and a robust outdoor economy.
Copper-sulfide mining poses well-documented risks of acid mine drainage and heavy metal pollution that, once released, cannot be fully contained or reversed in a water-rich landscape like the Boundary Waters watershed.
In a statement, the Sportsmen for the Boundary Waters said the resolution places “a foreign mining project above the hunting, fishing, paddling and outdoor community of the United States.”
Equally alarming is the mechanism used to advance this resolution. H.J. Res. 140 relies on the Congressional Review Act (CRA) to overturn a public land withdrawal that protected the area from mining. Using the CRA in this way is unprecedented and dangerous. If successful, the resolution could set a sweeping national precedent, allowing Congress to unravel long-standing public land protections across the country with a simple majority vote, bypassing science, public input and established environmental review processes.
At the time Outdoor America went to print, the U.S. Senate has not acted on H.J. Res. 140. The League is actively working to defeat this measure in the Senate and protect the Boundary Waters from irreversible harm. We will continue pressing lawmakers to vote no on the resolution and keep their hands off the Boundary Waters.
To see how you can help, visit www.iwla.org/advocacy.
Your kit will include a bottle containing 25 nitrate test strips which you can use to test your water source(s) throughout the year. You’ll also receive postcards explaining how to use your nitrate test strips and how to share your Nitrate Watch results on the Clean Water Hub.
Your kit will include four test strips so you can test your waterway throughout the season. You’ll also receive a chart to help you interpret your results and a postcard with instructions for completing a Salt Watch test and reporting your findings.