Senator Tina Smith holds Senate floor to oppose Boundary Waters mining bill

Senator Tina Smith of Minnesota held the Senate floor for hours to block a bill that would allow sulfide ore copper mining above the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness. Smith urged colleagues to vote down language that would strip federal protections and open watershed areas adjacent to the BWCA to sulfide mining, which she said risks acid mine drainage that could permanently contaminate lakes and streams. If the Senate approves the measure, it will head to President Donald Trump’s desk for signature, moving the change toward law unless he vetoes it.