Mining claims encroaching on Western population centers 5

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1. 

   pianoyoga Posted 5:13 am
   13 Mar 2008

   separation of mineral rightsSome readers here may be unaware of the separation of mineral and surface rights in current US law.  You can pay good money to preserve a few acres of healthy ecosystem only to see your efforts compromised by Corporation X which already owned the Mineral Rights.  
   Currently in Montana there's a big ranch under perpetual conservation easement which was really damaged by oil drilling-  the new owners sought to have the conservation easement lifted because the land was now "worthless for farming use".  They succeeded, and then tried to sell of sections as "ranchettes" to recoup their expenses.  These folks and the town are being sued over the easement change.  If they win, the whole concept of conservation easement for ecosystem preservation is under threat -  developers will rush to sue to overturn perpetual conservation easements.
   All this started with the absurd separation of surface and mineral rights-  it's a physical enshrinement of the concept of corporation, which has been separating real people from personal responsibility for their life-damaging activities.
   
   

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2. 

   Tasermons Partner Posted 6:11 am
   13 Mar 2008

   Heh......unintended consequence...the cities are soon surrounded by a circle of minig pits and quarries and suburban sprawl comes to a halt as a result.
   Okay, not really, but still, it would be amusingly ironic, no?

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3. 

   Wolverine Posted 8:38 am
   13 Mar 2008

   If Humans Insist On Digging Into The Earth ...If mining, which is a very ecologically destructive activity, is going to take place at all, it should be in areas with large populations.  Those who benefit from mining, i.e., humans, should bear the brunt of the harm it causes.

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4. 

   prhom Posted 12:15 pm
   31 Mar 2008

   strange article if you ask meSo I guess what they are saying is that it's a horrible shame that mining would take place close to major population centers, but if it takes place in the middle of nowhere then it's okay?

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5. 

   Douglas Scott Treado Posted 1:02 am
   02 Apr 2008

   Suprised that Grist is not covering Magna, Utah...Since March 23, the Salt Lake Tribune, and the Deseret News in Salt Lakes City, Utah, have been reporting on the Kennecott Utah Copper's cover-up of twenty years ago in regard to a tailings "dam" which could burst and flood/destroy homes in Magna, Utah.  As well as pollution clean-up of water from the mine.
   
   This is an ongoing reportage, and should be followed by Grist--as well as the other Kennecott Minerals' Eagle metallic sulfide mining (copper and nickel) planned project now awaiting final permits (DNR, DEQ and Fed EPA) in Marquette County, Michigan, along the south shore of Lake Superior--which includes several watersheds as well.
   
   Grist and readers: Please view the websites in Marquette County, Michigan:  www.yellowdogwatershed.org--and http://www.savethewildup.org--these two websites provide links to both the Michigan problem as well as the Magna, Utah problems.
   
   Thanks!

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