Public Hearing for Prove It First Law | Protect Clean Water

As Minnesota’s 2024 legislative session begins, the Democratic Farmer Labor Party has a chance to take action and protect our State's clean water.
The Prove It First Bill (S.F. 1416/H.F. 1618) simply states that before a copper-sulfide mine in Minnesota can be permitted, there must be independent scientific proof that a copper-sulfide mine has operated elsewhere in the United States for at least ten years without causing pollution and that a mine has been closed for at least ten years without causing pollution.
How ever, DFL leadership has a history of stonewalling efforts to address any issue related to copper or nickel-sulfide mining, despite broad support from both the party’s base and its elected members.
An informal hearing was scheduled on the bill but DFL leadership canceled the hearing, which would have addressed many of the long-standing concerns over copper-sulfide mining in the state.
Despite DFL leadership’s move to cancel the hearing, an open, public hearing took place on Thursday, February 22, 2024.
Witnesses include:
Senator Jennifer McEwen - State Senator from District 08 and sponsor of the Prove It First bill
Chris Knopf - Executive Director, Friends of the Boundary Waters Wilderness
Commissioner Kelly Applegate - Commissioner of Natural Resources, Mille Lacs Band of Ojibwe
Mike Maleska - Iron ore miner for 42 years and local union president, retired
Doug Watt - Witness to the Mount Polley mining disaster and former mine worker
Dr. Steven Emerman - Internationally recognized mining expert, owner Malach Consulting
Bruce Johnson and Fred Campbell - Retired state regulators with the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency and Minnesota Department of Natural Resources
Geri Nelson - Clean water advocate for 50 years
Claire Peterson - Student at Lakeville North High School
Leran more: www.friends-bwca.org/prove-it...

[@kayleefritchen4377]

This is a beautiful plea for human rights. Clean water, land and lives! Thank you everyone. Thank you for FriendsOfTheBWCA

[@kencollier5943]

Yay Claire! Beautiful, heartfelt, inspiring.

[@xlargetophat]

We need to convert the whole trucking industry into EVs with nickel batteries.

[@andrewandres148]

Then if the mining for these elements always bad, then it is fine to mine in Chile and elsewhere? Since they dont have as much rain, then it is fine there? "Prove it first" has merits, a plan for dealing with waste byproduct, and to have a plan for clean up and emergency response mechanisms in place.... But this appears to be another block for Minnesota mineral mining... Even though you all use hundreds of pounds of copper used in your daily life.... What is your "Copper footprint" if it is always unsafe? And what is your "Nickle footprint" ..... Lets not be hypocrites.....