H.R. 588 explained · 119th Congress · Pending in Congress
Boundary Waters Wilderness Protection and Pollution Prevention Act
Cosponsors: 41 (41 D, 0 R) · per Congress.gov, 2026-10-12
Introduced: 2025-01-21
Latest action (2025-01-21): Referred to the House Committee on Natural Resources.
What H.R. 588 does, in plain terms
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 Land or interest in land within such area that is acquired by the United States must be immediately withdrawn in accordance with this bill.
Official summary by the Congressional Research Service, via Congress.gov.
Constitution Index
“VFA Constitution grade”
Not graded yet
H.R. 588 has not been graded yet. New measures with an official summary are graded daily under the published rubric.
What should pass
“VFA SI Solution”
No solution yet
A sourced SI draft appears here once it passes automated checks (Constitution citation, source verification, independent SI critic). How publication works.
For journalists and bloggers
“Embed this grade”
Free to use with the link back. The badge and card update when the grade changes. Embed terms →
