WaterLegacy

Minnesota’s most valuable resources are our freshwaters and communities. They are now under attack by Trump and by foreign billionaires.

Lake Superior holds 10 percent of the world's unfrozen fresh surface water. And the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness, along with the Superior National Forest, contains 20 percent of all the freshwater in the entire National Forest System. The mighty Mississippi River flows through the heart of the United States down to the Gulf of Mexico.

Copper-nickel sulfide ore mining threatens all of these life-giving waters. There are sulfide ore mining threats across Minnesota––in the Boundary Waters (Twin Metals/Antofagasta), in the Lake Superior Basin (PolyMet/Glencore/NewRange), and in the Mississippi River and St. Croix River watersheds (Talon Metals/Rio Tinto). 

Right now, Trump is trying to fast-track the Twin Metals, PolyMet/NewRange, and Talon Metals nickel and copper sulfide ore mines. His administration has already gutted environmental protection, wiping out regulations of toxic mercury emissions. As a result, 247 pounds of mercury every year will contaminate Minnesota lands, waters, and lakes, making it unsafe to eat our fish. 

At the same time, the Trump Administration is subsidizing the most toxic industry in America. Billionaire owners would pollute Minnesota waters with sulfate and heavy metals that poison our drinking water and leave a sickened environment for our children and grandchildren. 

The good news is we can fight back. But we need your help to resist these threats to water and health.

WaterLegacy works in alliance with tribes and other partners, and we won’t walk away from even the toughest challenge. Court cases brought by WaterLegacy have: 1) upheld Minnesota water quality standards; 2) required more stringent enforcement and environmental review; and 3) reversed and remanded PolyMet sulfide ore mine permits. 

We are lean and passionate. We organize and litigate. And we win!

So much has changed as a result of WaterLegacy’s work in alliance with Tribes and other groups. Here are a few of our successes:

• PolyMet Water Pollution Permit reversed by the Minnesota Supreme Court as arbitrary and capricious due to improper procedures exposed by WaterLegacy. (2023). Permit also reversed by Minnesota Court of Appeals due to failure to regulate seepage through groundwater. (2021).
• PolyMet U.S. Army Corps Wetlands Permit revoked on Fond du Lac Band’s objection to violation of Band’s water quality standards. (2023). The basis for the objection was developed by WaterLegacy’s counsel in the first law review article ever to argue for that authority. (2015)
• PolyMet Permit to Mine reversed by the Minnesota Supreme Court due to state agency failure to set a permit term or show that PolyMet would control acid mine drainage. (2021) Administrative Law Judge concluded waste storage violated Minnesota law. (2023)
• Groundwater Water Standards upheld by Minnesota Supreme Court, so agencies must analyze mine pollution through groundwater to surface water under the Clean Water Act. (2021)
• Sulfate Water Quality Standard that Protects Wild Rice preserved in lawsuit (2010), rulemaking (2011-2018), organizing to secure two vetoes of session laws by the Governor (2018), and in opinion of Minnesota Court of Appeals. (2020)
• Denial of Lax “Site-Specific Sulfate Standard for mining in Minnesota Court of Appeals case, so State agency must apply stringent sulfate standard to protect wild rice from pollution. (2025) 
• Reversal of State Decision to deny an EIS for Mile Post 7 tailings dam enlargement above Lake Superior despite its potential to increase the threat of catastrophic dam failure. 

All of the ground we’ve gained is now threatened by Trump and corrupted federal agencies!

Why give now? Every dollar you contribute to WaterLegacy this year will be doubled by our generous donors. That means your gift of $50 will become $100; $100 will jump to $200; and $250 will give us $500 of support!

This is the time to stand together with thousands of Minnesotans who are fighting to protect our water and our future from Trump and toxic pollution. 

Learn more about WaterLegacy’s work here and follow us on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter/X, and Linkedin.