Virginia Cramer, virginia.cramer@sierraclub.org, 804-519-8449
WASHINGTON, DC -- The U.S. House of Representatives tonight passed a bill ordering public forest lands turned over to a private mining company. The bill, HR 3115, would expedite the exchange of National Forest land with PolyMet Mining Corporation for an open pit copper-nickel sulfide ore mine -- bypassing issues with the environmental analysis, value of the land appraisal, and ongoing public challenges.
In response Lena Moffitt, senior director of Sierra Club’s Our Wild America campaign issued the following statement.
“Carving up America’s National Forest lands at the behest of a foreign mining company is an insult to American values and an attack on our bedrock environmental laws.. Opening these lands, waters and downstream communities to mining pollution in perpetuity, waiving safeguards for public input, endangered species and water quality is beyond the pale. The fate of Lake Superior - the world’s largest freshwater lake - and Minnesota’s iconic northern forests must not be left at the mercy of a foreign mining conglomerate.”
About the Sierra Club
The Sierra Club is America’s largest and most influential grassroots environmental organization, with more than 3 million members and supporters. In addition to helping people from all backgrounds explore nature and our outdoor heritage, the Sierra Club works to promote clean energy, safeguard the health of our communities, protect wildlife, and preserve our remaining wild places through grassroots activism, public education, lobbying, and legal action. For more information, visit www.sierraclub.org.