Minnesota’s mining fight has global consequences
On Point with Meghna Chakrabarti
WBUR
4.3 • 3.9K Ratings
🗓️ 16 January 2026
⏱️ 35 minutes
🧾️ Download transcript
Summary
One of America’s largest deposits of copper, nickel and cobalt is deep underground near the Boundary Waters in northeastern Minnesota. It’s never been mined. Now, the Trump administration is pushing to change that.
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| 0:45.2 | WBUR Podcasts, Boston. This is on point. I'm Megachakrabardi. |
| 0:59.6 | Deep underground in northeastern Minnesota lies one of North America's largest deposits of copper, nickel, and cobalt. |
| 1:07.4 | It's called the Maturi deposit, and it formed some 1.1 billion years ago. |
| 1:14.0 | This deposit has never been mined, but that could soon change. |
| 1:19.1 | The Twin Muddles mine, once operational, will be transformational for northeastern Minnesota. |
| 1:25.2 | We would produce about 100 million pounds of copper per year, |
| 1:29.9 | 23 million pounds of nickel per year, and about 1.2 million pounds of cobalt. |
| 1:36.4 | Kathy Graal is the Director of Public Affairs for Twin Metals, Minnesota. The company first proposed |
| 1:42.7 | a mine at the Maturi deposit back in 2019. |
| 1:46.1 | Twin Metals is owned by a Chilean mining company called Antofagasta. |
| 1:51.2 | Grawl says the Minnesota mine would be all underground. |
| 1:54.6 | We wouldn't start mining until we're at least 400 feet below that surface level. |
| 1:59.9 | And then the minerals go down to as far as 4,500 feet below ground. |
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