Antofagasta ( OTC:ANFGF ) sued the Biden administration on Monday in an attempt revive its proposed Twin Metals copper and nickel project in Minnesota, which was blocked earlier this year over concerns it could pollute a major recreational waterway.
The lawsuit said the lease cancellations in January by the U.S. Department of the Interior were "arbitrary and capricious," and that Twin Metals should have the right to prove its project can meet environmental standards.
If built, the mine would be a major U.S. source of copper and nickel, two metals crucial for the green energy transition.
Environmental groups have been fighting Twin Metals for years, saying the risk of acid mine drainage poses an unacceptable threat to the most-visited federally designated wilderness area in the U.S.
In a separate but related step to halt the mine, the Biden administration last fall proposed a 20-year ban on mining in the Boundary Waters region .
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Antofagasta's Twin Metals sues U.S. over Minnesota mining project