Hi John, 

You may have seen recent news that one of Twin Metals Minnesota’s state mineral leases was canceled on Friday. But what does this mean for the future of the Boundary Waters and the proposed copper mine in its headwaters?

Here’s the long and short of it: The company (Twin Metals) didn’t fulfill its lease requirements, so the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (DNR) then had the authority to cancel the lease. The cancellation of this lease is a routine regulatory decision by the DNR relating to the enforcement of a state lease for failure to fulfill the terms of the lease and is a great example of the DNR scrutinizing mining leases and enforcing lease terms. 

What are the lease terms?

That a company (in this case, Twin Metals) must be actively engaged in mining ore under the lease at issue and paid to the state at least $100,000 in earned royalty under a metallic minerals lease (to be paid during a single calendar year).

Read our recent blog to learn more.