,i #aafth ,,congress #b;d ,session ,h4 ,r4 #eeih ,,in ,,the ,,house ,,of ,,representatives ,january #ad1 #bjbj,ms4 ,mc,collum 7for herself1 ,mr4 ,rooney of ,florida1 ,mr4 ,grijalva1 ,mr4 ,lowenthal1 ,mr4 ,phillips1 and ,mr4 ,upton7 introduced the following bill2 which was referred to the ,committee on ,natural ,resources ,a ,,bill ,to provide for the protection of the ,boundary ,waters ,canoe ,area ,wilderness and interconnected ,federal lands and waters1 including ,voyageurs ,national ,park1 within the ,rainy ,river ,watershed in the ,state of ,minnesota1 and for other purposes4 #a4 ,short title ,this ,act may be cited as the ,boundary ,waters ,wilderness ,protection and ,pollution ,prevention ,act4 #b4 ,findings ,congress finds the following3 7#a7 ,the ,boundary ,waters ,canoe ,area ,wilderness is a #a1jij1jjj acre ,federal wilderness area1 located within the ,superior ,national ,forest1 that was originally designated in the ,wilderness ,act of #aifd 7,public ,law #hh-egg74 7#b7 ,the ,forest ,service manages the ,boundary ,waters ,canoe ,area ,wilderness1 which includes-- 7,a7 nearly #b1jjj pristine lakes ranging in size from #aj acres to #aj1jjj acres1 and more than #a1bjj miles of canoe routes2 7,b7 #a1ejj cultural resource sites including historic ,ojibwe village sites and ,native ,american pictograph panel sites2 and 7,c7 #aej miles of land and water on the international border with the ,government of ,canada4 7#c7 ,in #aigh1 ,congress passed the ,boundary ,waters ,canoe ,area ,wilderness ,act 7,public ,law #ie-die7 to remove incompatible uses1 prohibit mining within the ,boundary ,waters ,canoe ,area ,wilderness and on #bbj1jjj acres of the ,superior ,national ,forest1 and to provide management guidance to protect1 preserve1 and enhance the lakes1 waterways1 and forested areas of the ,boundary ,waters ,canoe ,area ,wilderness to enhance public enjoyment of the unique landscape and wildlife4 7#d7 ,the federally recognized ,grand ,portage ,band of ,lake ,superior ,chippewa1 the ,fond du ,lac ,band of ,lake ,superior ,chippewa1 and the ,bois ,forte ,band of ,chippewa retain hunting1 fishing1 and other usufructuary rights throughout the entire northeast portion of ,minnesota1 including the ,boundary ,waters ,canoe ,area ,wilderness1 under the #ahed ,treaty of ,la,pointe4 ,all ,bands have a legal interest in protecting natural resources and the ,forest ,service shares in the ,federal trust responsibility to maintain treaty resources4 7#e7 ,the ,rainy ,river ,watershed lies within the ,superior ,national ,forest1 which contains #bj percent of the fresh water supply in the entire ,national ,forest ,system4 7#f7 ,the ,rainy ,river ,watershed headwaters begin in northeastern ,minnesota and flow north through the ,boundary ,waters ,canoe ,area ,wilderness and ,voyageurs ,national ,park and into ,canada along the shared international border4 ,these international waters are governed by the #aiji ,boundary ,waters ,treaty1 which states that boundary waters and the waters flowing across the boundary shall not be polluted on either side to the injury of health or property on the other4 7#g7 ,the waters of the ,boundary ,waters ,canoe ,area ,wilderness and ,voyageurs ,national ,park are classified as ,outstanding ,resource ,value ,waters under ,federal and ,state law1 and degradation of water quality is prohibited4 ,a risk of mining development is acid mine drainage which generally occurs when sulfide minerals are exposed to air and water creating sulfuric acid1 which decreases water p,h and leaches harmful metals such as copper1 zinc1 lead1 cadmium1 iron1 and nickel4 7#h7 ,acid mine runoff from sulfide-ore copper mining entering groundwater1 rivers1 streams1 and lakes harms aquatic life1 degrades water quality1 and results in potential severe environmental impacts4 7#i7 ,a peer-reviewed study of water quality impacts from #ad operating ,united ,states copper sulfide mines found #ajj percent of the mines experienced pipeline spills or accidental releases3 #ac mines experienced failures of water collection and treatment systems to control contaminated mine seepage resulting in significant negative water quality impacts4 7#aj7 ,the mining of copper and other metals in sulfide bearing ore on ,federal lands in the ,superior ,national ,forest1 within the ,rainy ,river ,watershed1 poses a direct and long-term threat from sulfide-ore mining contamination to the pristine water and air quality and healthy forested habitat of the ,boundary ,waters ,canoe ,area ,wilderness and ,voyageurs ,national ,park4 7#aa7 ,the likely contamination of the air1 water1 and forested habitat of the ,boundary ,waters ,canoe ,area ,wilderness and ,voyageurs ,national ,park from the mining of copper1 nickel1 platinum1 palladium1 gold1 and silver on ,federal lands within the ,rainy ,river ,watershed puts at risk-- 7,a7 the nationally recognized natural resources of the area2 and 7,b7 the region's amenity-based and tourism industry1 which if protected by a mineral withdrawal1 would grow by #a1ejj to #d1fjj more jobs and #ajj1jjj1jjj to #ijj1jjj1jjj more income over the next #bj years than if such mining were not banned4 7#ab7 ,in #bjaf1 the ,forest ,service issued a ,record of ,decision which found unacceptable the inherent potential risk that development of a regionally-untested copper-nickel sulfide ore mine within the same watershed as the ,boundary ,waters ,canoe ,area ,wilderness might cause serious and irreplaceable harm to this unique1 iconic1 and irreplaceable wilderness area4 ,the ,forest ,service subsequently proposed a #bj-year mineral withdrawal of #bcd1cbh acres of ,federal lands and waters in the ,rainy ,river ,watershed4 7#ac7 ,in #bjah1 approximately #bj months into a #bd-month review period of the ,rainy ,river ,watershed mineral withdrawal proposal1 the ,department of ,agriculture abruptly abandoned the ,environmental ,assessment4 ,the ,administration has subsequently refused multiple directives from ,congress to complete and release the ,environmental ,assessment4 #c4 ,withdrawal of certain ,federal lands and waters in the ,state of ,minnesota 7a7 ,definition of map ,in this ,act1 the term ,map means the map prepared by the ,forest ,service entitled ,superior ,national ,forest ,mineral ,withdrawal ,application ,map and dated ,december #e1 #bjaf4 7b7 ,withdrawal ,except as provided in subsection 7d7 and subject to valid existing rights1 the approximately #bcd1cbh acres of ,federal land and waters in the ,rainy ,river ,watershed of the ,superior ,national ,forest in the ,state of ,minnesota1 as located on the ,map and described in the ,federal ,register ,notice of ,application for ,withdrawal1 dated ,january #ai1 #bjag 7#hb ,fed4 ,reg4 #ffci71 are hereby withdrawn from-- 7#a7 all forms of entry1 appropriation1 and disposal under the public land laws2 7#b7 location1 entry1 and patent under the mining laws2 and 7#c7 operation of the mineral leasing1 mineral materials1 and geothermal leasing laws4 7c7 ,acquired land ,any land or interest in land within the area depicted on the ,map that is acquired by the ,united ,states after the date of enactment of this ,act shall1 on acquisition1 be immediately withdrawn in accordance with this section4 7d7 ,removal of sand1 gravel1 granite1 iron ore1 and taconite ,the ,chief of the ,forest ,service is authorized to permit the removal of sand1 gravel1 granite1 iron ore1 and taconite from national forest system lands within the area depicted on the ,map if the ,chief determines that the removal is not detrimental to the water quality1 air quality1 and health of the forest habitat within the ,rainy ,river ,watershed4 7e7 ,availability of map ,the ,map shall be kept on file and made available for public inspection in the appropriate offices of the ,forest ,service and the ,bureau of ,land ,management4