Will You Be Mining?

Senate committee considers mining reform, not all that into it

Posted at 5:13 PM on 25 Jan 2008

The Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee held a hearing yesterday on mining reform, indicating unwillingness to overhaul 136-year-old U.S. mining policy anywhere near as much as would a House of Representatives bill passed this fall. Senators seemed generally open to creating a cleanup fund and placing royalties on new mines, but key lawmakers from Western states balked at taxing existing mines or increasing environmental regulation. "It is important to remember that while the mining law itself has not been updated, there have been numerous new environmental laws that are still applicable to mining," said ranking Republican Pete Domenici (N.M.). Critics testified that, uh, current laws have in no way kept mines from effing up the environment. Domenici and fellow energy committee bigwig Jeff Bingaman (D-N.M.) are adamant that Senate mining legislation be written from scratch rather than jumping off from the House version.

sources: Billings Gazette, Las Vegas Review-Journal, Reuters, Mineweb

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Comments: (2 comments)

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Vote Green

Jeff Bingaman's and other Democratic senators' support for the mining industry is what people mean when they say they say there's no difference between Democrats and Republicans. While that's not accurate, stuff like this shows how little meaningful difference there is.

I have refused to vote Democratic since the jerks who run the party sabotaged George McGovern's bid for the presidency in 1972 (with the exceptions of a panic attack in 1984 trying to get rid of Reagan) and voting for Ron Dellums when I lived in Berkeley and Oakland. Those who really care about the environment should do the same. The Democrats will never bring about any significant change. As Jerry Brown once said, the only difference between the Democrats and the Republicans is the pace of destruction.

Jeff Hoffman

by jdhlax at 8:53 AM on 26 Jan 2008

mining

Taxing new mines and not old mines seems unfair.In that,old mines go free while the taxing can stop new mines from occuring.I have no problem with that part,but why should the old mines not have to pay royalties?Is there not a law that mines have to reclaim the land that they tear up,or is that only for open pit mines?

Why not ask why!?

by usandthem at 5:43 PM on 28 Jan 2008

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