A mining law from 1872 isn’t fit for 2022 ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌  ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌  ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌  ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌  ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌  ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌  ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌  ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌  ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌  ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌  ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌  ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌  ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌  ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌  ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌  ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌  ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌  ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌  ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌  ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌  ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌  ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌  ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌  ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌  ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌  ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌  ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌  ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌  ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌  ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌  ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌
EARTHJUSTICE | BECAUSE THE EARTH NEEDS A GOOD LAWYER

 

The Santa Rita Mountains in Arizona contain sacred places and cultural sites that are important to several local tribes. They are also the proposed site of a copper mine.
Dear Friend,
Mining has a long, long history of environmental destruction — in part because the law regulating it is woefully out of date. Originally passed during the gold rush boom, when the American Government sought to “settle” the West and forcibly remove Indigenous people from their land, the Mining Law of 1872 has remained virtually unchanged since then. Predictably, the law does little to regulate mining companies or safeguard communities and the environment.
This is a huge problem, because the transition to renewable energy and electrified transportation will require critical minerals like lithium and cobalt, which are in the batteries that power electric vehicles and store clean energy. Experts expect critical mineral demand to rise by up to 500 percent by 2050 to power electronics (like laptops and cellphones) and clean energy technologies, and we need to ensure we can meet that demand in a secure and sustainable way. That starts with reforming the U.S. law that has allowed the mining industry to pollute freely for a century and a half.
Reform is difficult, but this challenge presents an opportunity. We have a chance to do what the fossil fuel industry never did by setting out from the start to protect the communities and places most impacted by clean energy development. Like the oil and gas industry, mining operations have destroyed precious environmental and sacred spaces while leaving behind toxic pollution — but it doesn’t have to be that way.
Updating our laws and regulations is part of the sustainable solutions needed to meet the demands for critical minerals and ensure that our clean energy future isn’t built on a foundation of dirty mining. Click here to take three actions that push mining towards sustainability.

 

 
Protect this sacred spring from dirty lithium mining
Mining for precious metals can scar the earth, contaminate vital habitats for wildlife, and harm Indigenous communities. Ha ʻKamwe, a hot spring sacred to the Hualapai Tribe in Northern Arizona, is under attack by a lithium mining project by Hawkstone Mining that threatens their land, water, and heritage sites. The Hualapai and other tribes have used the spring for centuries for healing, prayer, and rites of passage, such as childbirth and coming-of-age ceremonies for young women. Tell the Bureau of Land Management to protect this sacred spring from extractive lithium drilling by conducting a proper Environmental Impact Statement!
TAKE ACTION

 

 
We do not need more dirty mining to achieve a clean energy future
To avoid the worst effects of the climate crisis, we must quickly ramp down our reliance on fossil fuels and transition to clean energy. But as we transition to clean energy, we also must be aware of the increased demand for critical minerals like lithium and cobalt that are required to build out solar panels, electric vehicles, wind turbines, and battery storage. We cannot justly move to a clean energy future at the cost of harming people or the environment. That’s why we need your help to push for sustainable solutions to meet the demands for these critical minerals.
TAKE ACTION

 

 
Protect these wetlands from a toxic mine
When the U.S. Army Corps authorized the largest wetlands destruction project in Minnesota’s history, it did so without an adequate environmental review. It did not properly take into account that the PolyMet open-pit copper mine would bulldoze close to 1,000 acres of wetlands and would damage or destroy as least 6,500 acres of biologically diverse wetlands that provide critical wildlife habitat in northern Minnesota’s Superior National Forest. It also did not take into account that the mine would contaminate the Fond du Lac Band of the Minnesota Chippewa Tribe’s reservation water supply with toxic mercury. Support the Fond du Lac Band and help protect the St. Louis River and Lake Superior from PolyMet mine.
TAKE ACTION

 

Your activism is creating change — and we’re just getting started. Click here to engage at every step by taking all of the actions above on one page.
We’ll need your voice in the fights that lie ahead. The best way to stay engaged is to sign up for text messages from Earthjustice by clicking here or texting JUSTICE to 43428. Thank you for your advocacy and commitment to protecting people and the planet.
Sincerely,
Kyle Berquist
Digital Advocacy Specialist

 
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Photo Credits: The Santa Rita Mountains in Arizona contain sacred places and cultural sites that are important to several local tribes. They are also the proposed site of a copper mine. (Alan Schmierer / Flickr)
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