“Gold” for MT? Congress Tackles Mining Law Reform
Friday, November 2, 2007
Helena, MT – Congress is taking on the task of updating the nation's 135-year-old law that sets rules for mining gold, silver, and other minerals from public land. For the first time, royalties would be charged, similar to those for oil and gas taken from public land; the money would go into a fund for cleaning up abandoned toxic mine sites, thousands of which are located in Montana. The U.S. House passed the "Hardrock Mining and Reclamation Act" yesterday, to update the 1872 General Mining Law. Jane Danowitz, director of the Pew Campaign for Responsible Mining, says the update is long overdue.
"It has no protections for the environment, for water quality, or for local communities. This is a law that's very much out-of-date, out of touch, and it needs to be reformed and modernized."
Danowitz says the updates would bring so-called "hardrock" mining in line with other industries that profit from public land uses.
"It would establish a royalty for mining companies that are taking public resources off of public lands, and require funds to be put into an abandoned mine cleanup fund."
Some mining companies have warned the law could mean jobs will be cut. Nevada leaders are the strongest opponents of the update, saying it will hurt the state's economy.
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