Something I Didn't Know
It was 135 years ago that a mining law was passed in the US, and it hasn't been changed since. A lot has happened since then demographically, technologically, and environmentally, but the law still remains on the books the way it was drafted. An op-ed piece written by Jane Danowitz and published in today's Sacramento Bee details just what this means today.
Companies that mine for metals can still claim federal land for five dollars or less per acre as they did in the 1870s, avoid paying any royalties, pollute the nation's waterways with mining waste, and walk away with little or no obligation to clean up. Thanks to the 135-year-old mining law, such practices can be perfectly legal -- and are increasing. ...
Unlike oil, gas and other extractive industries operating on public land, the "hard rock" metal mining companies -- even if foreign owned -- can take mineral resources from U.S. lands virtually for free, costing American taxpayers an estimated $100 million each year in potential royalties.
That's just the beginning of the bonanza.
The law remains a speculator's dream. It allows individuals or corporations to ultimately buy the land they're claiming at prices set in 1872, which generally run from $2.50 to $5 per acre. Claims don't carry expiration dates and, if not mined, can be -- and have been -- used for development of everything from condominiums to casinos.
Even today, the law gives hard rock mining on public lands priority status, regardless of the impact on watersheds, wildlife or local communities.
Then there's the mess that is left behind. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has consistently found metal mining to be the nation's leading source of toxic pollution -- and found the industry responsible for degrading 40 percent of Western watersheds. To add further insult to injury, mining is subject to deferential treatment under federal hazardous waste law and even the Clean Water Act.
A 2004 report from the EPA's inspector general estimates that it could cost U.S. taxpayers up to $50 billion to clean up abandoned mine sites still scattered around the country. The damage includes cyanide contamination of thousands of miles of rivers, endless acid drainage and millions of cubic yards of toxic waste rock.
Claims for uranium, gold and other metals on public lands have increased almost 50 percent over the last four years, according to the U.S. Bureau of Land Management. Many of these new claims -- staked largely by foreign-owned companies -- lie near such national treasures as the Grand Canyon, or next to highly populated urban areas and Indian lands. [Emphasis added]
Gee, you think maybe it's time to take another look at this law and to update it? Fortunately, the new chair of the House Natural Resources Committee, Rep. Nick Rahall, D-W.Va., does. He still might need a little encouragement. You might want to call or write him, with a copy to your representative.
It certainly couldn't hurt.
Companies that mine for metals can still claim federal land for five dollars or less per acre as they did in the 1870s, avoid paying any royalties, pollute the nation's waterways with mining waste, and walk away with little or no obligation to clean up. Thanks to the 135-year-old mining law, such practices can be perfectly legal -- and are increasing. ...
Unlike oil, gas and other extractive industries operating on public land, the "hard rock" metal mining companies -- even if foreign owned -- can take mineral resources from U.S. lands virtually for free, costing American taxpayers an estimated $100 million each year in potential royalties.
That's just the beginning of the bonanza.
The law remains a speculator's dream. It allows individuals or corporations to ultimately buy the land they're claiming at prices set in 1872, which generally run from $2.50 to $5 per acre. Claims don't carry expiration dates and, if not mined, can be -- and have been -- used for development of everything from condominiums to casinos.
Even today, the law gives hard rock mining on public lands priority status, regardless of the impact on watersheds, wildlife or local communities.
Then there's the mess that is left behind. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has consistently found metal mining to be the nation's leading source of toxic pollution -- and found the industry responsible for degrading 40 percent of Western watersheds. To add further insult to injury, mining is subject to deferential treatment under federal hazardous waste law and even the Clean Water Act.
A 2004 report from the EPA's inspector general estimates that it could cost U.S. taxpayers up to $50 billion to clean up abandoned mine sites still scattered around the country. The damage includes cyanide contamination of thousands of miles of rivers, endless acid drainage and millions of cubic yards of toxic waste rock.
Claims for uranium, gold and other metals on public lands have increased almost 50 percent over the last four years, according to the U.S. Bureau of Land Management. Many of these new claims -- staked largely by foreign-owned companies -- lie near such national treasures as the Grand Canyon, or next to highly populated urban areas and Indian lands. [Emphasis added]
Gee, you think maybe it's time to take another look at this law and to update it? Fortunately, the new chair of the House Natural Resources Committee, Rep. Nick Rahall, D-W.Va., does. He still might need a little encouragement. You might want to call or write him, with a copy to your representative.
It certainly couldn't hurt.
Labels: The Environment
posted by Diane at 5:00 PM
0 Comments:
Post a Comment
<< Home