Mining Reform
The Rock Creek Alliance is working towards reform of the clearly outdated 1872 Mining Law.
The antiquated 1872 Mining Law was signed into law by
President Ulysses S. Grant over 130 years ago. This law has
been interpreted to allow private companies to acquire the
subsurface mineral rights to public lands at the 1872 price of
$2.50 per acre and, unlike oil, gas, and coal, requires no
payment of royalties for the extraction of resources. To date,
the 1872 Mining Law has allowed the mining industry to pollute
40% of western waterways and has forced the public to give
away public lands worth more than 245 billion dollars.
The need for reform of the 1872 Mining Law is no more poignantly illustrated than by the Rock Creek mine. If developed, this mine would be the first mine operating within a federally designated wilderness area.
The mine's impacts to the wilderness area would be
staggering, as well as the impacts to wildlife and water
quality. Nevertheless, the federal agencies involved have
interpreted the 1872 Mining Law as trumping all other values
and as giving carte blanche to mining companies. The Rock
Creek Alliance is challenging this interpretation in court.
Recognizing the need to protect our wilderness areas, the Rock Creek mine has been chosen as the "poster child" for mining reform. The national organization, Westerners for Responsible Mining, has highlighted the need to protect the Cabinet Mountain Wilderness Area. This group is an unprecedented alliance of western residents and organizations and non-westerners who have come together to ensure that rural communities, water resources, and special places are protected from the adverse impacts of irresponsible mining.
There is no fee to join Westerners for Responsible Mining. We would encourage you to visit their website at http://www.bettermines.org and add your voice to the rising chorus of voices demanding protection of our treausred places.
In addition, please urge your representative to support a bill recently introduced in congress which provides for meaningful reform of the 1872 Mining Law. This bill, the Rayhall-Shays-Inslee Federal Mineral Development and Land Protection Equity Act of 2005, HR 3968, would move mining law out of the 19th century and into the 21st century. It would protect special places and important water sources by creating sensible rules that would encourage responsible mining, while simultaneously prohbiting mines that would threaten places we hold dear. To send a letter to your representative, visit http://actionnetwork.org/campaign/special places.
The need for reform of the 1872 Mining Law is no more poignantly illustrated than by the Rock Creek mine. If developed, this mine would be the first mine operating within a federally designated wilderness area.
The mine's impacts to the wilderness area would be
staggering, as well as the impacts to wildlife and water
quality. Nevertheless, the federal agencies involved have
interpreted the 1872 Mining Law as trumping all other values
and as giving carte blanche to mining companies. The Rock
Creek Alliance is challenging this interpretation in court.
Recognizing the need to protect our wilderness areas, the Rock Creek mine has been chosen as the "poster child" for mining reform. The national organization, Westerners for Responsible Mining, has highlighted the need to protect the Cabinet Mountain Wilderness Area. This group is an unprecedented alliance of western residents and organizations and non-westerners who have come together to ensure that rural communities, water resources, and special places are protected from the adverse impacts of irresponsible mining.
There is no fee to join Westerners for Responsible Mining. We would encourage you to visit their website at http://www.bettermines.org and add your voice to the rising chorus of voices demanding protection of our treausred places.
In addition, please urge your representative to support a bill recently introduced in congress which provides for meaningful reform of the 1872 Mining Law. This bill, the Rayhall-Shays-Inslee Federal Mineral Development and Land Protection Equity Act of 2005, HR 3968, would move mining law out of the 19th century and into the 21st century. It would protect special places and important water sources by creating sensible rules that would encourage responsible mining, while simultaneously prohbiting mines that would threaten places we hold dear. To send a letter to your representative, visit http://actionnetwork.org/campaign/special places.