Through a procedural sleight of hand (read ‘cheating’) initiated by Congressman Pete Stauber (read ‘stabber’) and through the votes of all Republican senators but two (with zero Democratic votes) they have removed a mining ban on the doorstep of the Boundary Waters, America’s most beloved and most visited wilderness area. A wilderness based upon water–clear, clean water–which essentially becomes battery acid when exposed to the extraordinarily toxic waste of copper-sulfide mining. The vote was 50-49. One vote, in an underhanded legislative maneuver, to overturn a century of protections.

Significantly, the proposed mine is only 5 miles UPSTREAM of the Boundary Waters, and therefore the entire Rainy Lake (border lakes) watershed. Including Quetico Provincial Park and Voyageurs National Park, in addition to the BWCA. It is like opening a toxic mine on the rim of the Grand Canyon. Only worse.

People are assured by the Chilean corporation Antofagasta that all will be well and entirely safe. Surely that is true, sort of, although, over hundreds of cases, such a mine has NEVER yet been done on planet Earth without serious environmental degradation or catastrophe. Even so, we should remember that such toxic waste problems would just be temporary–only a thousand years or more. In exchange for 15-20 years of jobs. Minus, of course, all the economic impacts and job losses of turning a beloved national tourist-wilderness area into a massive industrial-scale mine and transport center. Good deal, huh? Again, though, we should be cheered that Antofagasta will surely be ‘on the job,’ daily, for those thousand years–protecting Minnesota’s most pristine land and waters that Chileans, more than 5,000 miles away, care so much about.

So, with those facts in hand, it is easy to see why Republicans would vote en masse to do such a thing. And why Trump, who pushed it, would sign it. Because it is all about betrayal. Their specialty.

Will the mine(s) open tomorrow? No. This summer? No. This year? No. There will likely still be years of lawsuits and court cases. Fought by heroes of strong heart and good faith–as has been the case for 100 years. But because of Republicans’ use of an arcane rule (Congressional Review Act) this action cannot be undone by the next president, or by a future senate, without at least 60 votes, filibuster-proof–whereas this vote only took a simple majority. 50. It will be hard.

So this is a day of dejection and sadness and anger–which is normal after a betrayal. But, as has been the case for a century of hard-fought struggles and protections, the battle will go on. It must.

(This is my latest Substack post. You can subscribe/support me there at Notes From The Campfire@douglaswoodauthor. https://substack.com/@douglaswoodauthor)