Boundary Waters Wilderness Protection and Pollution Prevention Act

This bill protects about 225,504 acres of federal land and water in Minnesota's Superior National Forest from certain types of mining, especially sulfide-ore copper mining. The protected area is upstream from the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness in the Rainy River Watershed. The bill removes these lands from laws that allow mining, mineral leasing, and other resource extraction. However, the Forest Service can still allow removal of sand, granite, iron ore, and taconite if it won't harm water quality, air quality, or forest habitat in the watershed.

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