From Reuters via Mining.com, January 26:
Biden administration kills Antofagasta’s Minnesota copper project
The U.S. Department of the Interior canceled two mineral leases for Antofagasta Plc’s proposed Twin Metals copper and nickel mine in Minnesota on Wednesday, effectively killing the project and handing a major win to environmentalists.
The decision shows President Joe Biden’s administration is increasingly comfortable prioritizing domestic conservation efforts even as demand for minerals used to build electric vehicles rises amid efforts to combat climate change.
The leases for the proposed mine in northern Minnesota had first been pulled by then-President Barack Obama’s administration in 2016. But President Donald Trump’s administration reversed that decision.
Biden officials on Wednesday said Trump erred in giving the leases back.
“We found the leases were improperly renewed in violation of applicable statutes and regulations, and we are taking action to cancel them,” said U.S. Interior Secretary Deb Haaland, adding that her department has a responsibility to “ensure that no lessee receives special treatment,” though she did not elaborate.
Twin Metals, which is controlled by Chile’s Antofagasta, said it feels the decision was based on politics and not science....
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