Powlowski Condemns U.S. Vote Allowing Mining Near Boundary Waters, Warns of Serious Risks to Canadian Waters

Thunder Bay, ON — Member of Parliament for Thunder Bay–Rainy River, Marcus Powlowski, is expressing deep concern and disappointment following the U.S. Senate’s 50-49 vote repealing a ban on copper sulphide mining in northeastern Minnesota, near the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness in the Rainy River watershed.

The decision overturns previous protections put in place by the Biden administration, including cancelled mineral leases and a 20-year mining moratorium intended to safeguard the watershed.

“This is a troubling decision,” said Powlowski. “The waters in this region do not stop at the border. What happens in Minnesota has very real consequences for communities, ecosystems, and livelihoods here in northwestern Ontario.”

The proposed mining activity sits at the headwaters of the Rainy–Lake of the Woods watershed, a system that flows directly into Canada. Experts and environmental organizations, including the Lake of the Woods Water Sustainability Foundation, have raised serious concerns about the risk of sulphate pollution and methylmercury contamination; both of which can have devastating long-term impacts on water quality, natural ecosystems, and human health.

“Methylmercury is a potent neurotoxin. We cannot and will not turn a blind eye to the potential for mercury contamination in Canadian waters,” Powlowski said. “Protecting the health of our residents and the integrity of our environment must come first, these waters flow past Lac la Croix First Nation into Rainy Lake, Lake of the Woods, and further into Winnipeg’s river systems.”

Powlowski continued “Additionally, this issue can have potential economic impacts for Northwestern Ontario, as there are many fishing camps in the Rainy–Lake of the Woods watershed area that generate revenue helping to stimulating the local economy.” Studies from advocacy groups like Save the Boundary Waters cite that mining operations in the region are relying on the dilutionary effects of the watershed to allow for sulphate pollution – further mining in the area can increase the sulphates found in the waterways.

Powlowski also emphasized that the decision raises broader concerns about the strength of cross-border environmental protections under the Boundary Waters Treaty, which arguably commits both countries to preventing pollution that harms the other.

“This situation underscores the urgent need for strong bilateral oversight and accountability,” he said. “Canada must be firm in defending our shared waters and ensuring that any development on either side of the border does not come at the expense of our environment or public health.”

Powlowski is calling on the Government of Canada, including Global Affairs Canada, to work closely with their U.S. counterparts and to pursue all available avenues through the International Joint Commission to ensure that Canadian interests are protected.

“This is not just a local issue, it is a national one,” Powlowski added. “We must act now to prevent irreversible damage to one of our most vital and treasured freshwater systems.”