The Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee’s Subcommittee on Public Lands, Forests, and Mining heard testimony yesterday on two bills
Look West: Public lands and energy news from the Center for Western Priorities
** Senate considers two drastically different mining bills
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Wednesday, December 13, 2023
Bald Mountain Mine, BLM Nevada ([link removed])
The Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee’s Subcommittee on Public Lands, Forests, and Mining heard testimony ([link removed]) yesterday on two bills that would significantly alter how hardrock mining is regulated on our public lands: the Clean Energy Minerals Reform Act ([link removed]) , a long overdue update of the nation’s mining laws which would bring hardrock mining into the 21st century, and the Mining Regulatory Clarity Act ([link removed]) , which would be worse than the Civil War-era status quo in its giveaway of the nations’ public lands for mining companies to use as free trash dumps.
At the hearing, officials from the Department of the Interior and U.S. Forest Service testified against ([link removed]) the Mining Regulatory Clarity Act. “As written, the bill could lead to a number of unintended consequences,” said Steve Feldgus ([link removed]) , deputy assistant Interior secretary for land and minerals management. “In particular, granting claimants the right of use and occupancy prior to showing the discovery of a valuable mineral greatly expands the rights conferred under the mining law.” Chris Wood, CEO of Trout Unlimited, said the bill doesn’t distinguish between lands open for mining from those that have been withdrawn and could make it unlawful to deny mining or exploration on protected public lands.
The administration officials voiced their support for the Clean Energy Minerals Reform Act ([link removed]) , introduced by Senator Martin Heinrich of New Mexico, which would make several urgently needed and long overdue reforms to the General Mining Law of 1872. The reforms include: creating a leasing system for hardrock mining similar to the system that already exists for oil and gas; requiring, for the first time, that mining companies pay a royalty to taxpayers for minerals extracted from public lands; and charging companies a fee that will fund reclamation of abandoned mines.
The Center for Western Priorities’ Winning the West poll ([link removed]) , conducted in July 2023, surveyed voters in Arizona, Colorado, and Nevada on their concerns around mining on public lands. When asked how important it is to update the General Mining Law of 1872, 84 percent of respondents said it’s important, with 36 percent indicating it’s very important. 68 percent of respondents prefer an approach that includes modernizing our mining laws, preventing companies from dumping mining waste on public lands, and requiring companies to pay royalties on the minerals they extract.
** Quick hits
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Senate considers two drastically different approaches to hardrock mining
Center for Western Priorities ([link removed]) [press release] | E&E News ([link removed])
Nations at climate summit agree to move away from fossil fuels
New York Times ([link removed]) | E&E News ([link removed]) | Reuters ([link removed]) | Associated Press ([link removed])
Touting 'big win,' conservation groups drop suit over axed Ash Meadows lithium project
Nevada Current ([link removed])
Federal officials propose a recovery plan for the snow-dependent and climate-threatened lynx
Wyoming Public Radio ([link removed])
The fate of the West’s water rests on the shoulders of this 27-year-old
Politico ([link removed])
Colorado cattle industry sues over reintroduction of gray wolves
Associated Press ([link removed]) | The Hill ([link removed]) | Denver Post ([link removed]) | Colorado Sun ([link removed]) | Grand Junction Daily Sentinel ([link removed])
Fish nursery gives endangered razorback sucker babies a fin up in survival
KUER ([link removed])
Congress and the Kelly parcel: A new way forward?
Jackson Hole News & Guide ([link removed])
** Quote of the day
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” Westerners have been living with the consequences of inadequate safeguards for the past 150 years and they want to see these safeguards updated to better protect communities and landscapes from irresponsible mining. The clean energy transition is not an excuse to take shortcuts around our bedrock environmental protections, and should not come at the expense of the health of Western communities and landscapes.”
—Rachael Hamby, Policy Director, Center for Western Priorities ([link removed])
** Picture This
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[link removed]
@usinterior ([link removed])
Alabama Hills National Scenic Area in California is your place for outdoor adventure. Made up of a formation of rounded rocks and eroded hills set between the jagged peaks of the Sierra Nevada and the Owens Valley, the @mypubliclands ([link removed]) -managed hills consist of nearly 30,000 acres of public land where visitors can hike, rock climb, explore natural arches, mountain bike and enjoy stunning views.
Photo by Nina Mayer Ritchie | @ninamayerritchie ([link removed])
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