H.R. 588: Boundary Waters Wilderness Protection and Pollution Prevention Act

119th Congress · introduced 2025-01-21 · Public Lands and Natural Resources · Latest: Referred to the House Committee on Natural Resources.

federal

What does this mean?

Official title

Boundary Waters Wilderness Protection and Pollution Prevention Act

Plain summary

Boundary Waters Wilderness Protection and Pollution Prevention Act This bill protects and preserves approximately 225,504 acres of federal land and waters in a specified area in the Rainy River Watershed of Superior National Forest in Minnesota from certain mining, such as sulfide-ore copper mining. (The area is upstream from the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness.) Specifically, the bill withdraws those acres from entry, appropriation, and disposal under the public land laws; location, entry, and patent under the mining laws; and operation of the mineral leasing, mineral materials, and geothermal leasing laws. However, the Forest Service is authorized to permit the removal of sand, granite, iron ore, and taconite from national forest system lands within such area if the removal is not detrimental to the water quality, air quality, and health of forest habitat within the Rainy River Watershed. Land or interest in land within such area that is acquired by the United States must be immediately withdrawn in accordance with this bill.

Congressional Research Service summary (Introduced in House), quoted unchanged (nonpartisan). Read the source.

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A “Nay” vote

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What does this mean? (plain words)

Official text

Boundary Waters Wilderness Protection and Pollution Prevention Act

Source: Congressional Research Service summary (Introduced in House)

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Officials and money

Sponsor: Rep. McCollum, Betty [D-MN-4] · 42 cosponsors

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Words on this page, explained (2)

Appropriation: Money a legislature sets aside by law for a specific purpose. Government agencies may spend public money only as it has been appropriated.
Bill: A proposed law. It becomes law only if it passes the legislature and is signed by the president or governor (or a veto is overridden).

Plain meanings written from linked sources. All words.

Sources

Congressional Research Service summary (Introduced in House)
Congress.gov
Data: GovInfo BILLSTATUS bulk data (Library of Congress), BILLSTATUS-119hr588.xml <https://www.govinfo.gov/bulkdata/BILLSTATUS/119/hr>

Record fed-us-cong119-hr588 · catalog fed-us-congress-bills-cong119 · updated 2026-11-03 by psicol fed-bills