Providing for Consideration of H.R. Department of State, Foreign Operations, and Related Programs Appropriations Act, 2021

Floor Speech

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Ms. McCOLLUM. Mr. Speaker, the Interior and Environment division of this bill makes many critical investments in protecting our natural resources and contains several provisions designated to stop the Trump administration from moving forward on disastrous environmental policies.

This bill puts a halt on the use of funds in the next fiscal year to review approved mine plans within the watershed in the Nation's most visited wilderness, the Boundary Waters Canoe Area.

This provision does not--does not--impact the operations of current mines that already have their plans approved and are operating. There is no iron ore mine plan under review within the watershed or anywhere in the Superior National Forest.

Sulfide-ore mines are toxic. They produce acid mine drainage, which includes heavy metals like lead and cadmium. This poses a significant risk to surface waters and ground waters.

The Trump administration cannot be trusted to conduct an environmental review of sulfide-ore mining that could devastate this wilderness. They have already shown a lack of transparency and a willingness not to be guided by science.

Multiple Cabinet members have pledged to members of the Appropriations Committee in congressional hearings that they would complete a mineral withdrawal study within this very watershed. Instead, they abandoned this review 20 months into a 24-month plan, and they have refused to release any of the information.

Mr. Speaker, I would submit the report that they did finally show me, but I have no idea how the good people who work at this front desk could put in 60 pages of redacted material, 60 blank pages of a taxpayer-funded report.

This is a 1-year halt on a mine plan in a wilderness area from an administration that has shown a total lack of transparency and respect for science.

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