Church Rock Mining
Comment: A easy was to solve General Mining Law of 1872: Ban uranium mining and restrict other types mining by a updated version of the General Mining Law of 1872!
Friday, April 9, 2010
The General Mining Law of 1872 was signed into law by President Ulysses S. Grant and was passed to attract mining speculators westward.
The law governs hard rock mining (gold, copper, uranium, molybdenum) on federal lands.
It hasn't been significantly updated in 137 years, so it still gives preferential treatment to mining over agriculture, hunting and fishing. It also allows public lands to be sold for less than $5 an acre.
Hard rock mining has contaminated an estimated 40 percent of Western watersheds and left nearly half a million abandoned mine sites, many in Colorado.
At least $245 billion worth of metals has been mined on public lands with nothing going to taxpayers.
Insanely low prices mandated by the law have resulted in examples such as:
»In Crested Butte, the federal government sold 155 acres to the Phelps Dodge mining company for approximately $790, despite a company estimate that the land could produce up to $158 million in after-tax profits over 11 years.
»The Forest Service sold 160 acres near the Keystone ski resort to a mining company for $400. Six years later, the land sold for $1 million.
The Hard Rock Mining and Reclamation Act of 2009 would not preclude mining, but it would make it possible to protect public lands if a mining proposal would irrevocably destroy other valuable resources, such as water.
It also establishes a permanent end to the sell-off of those public lands that contain minerals and allows for a cleanup fund for abandoned hard rock mine sites that pose the highest risk to public health.
I urge Rep. Betsy Markey to join Rep. John Salazar in co-sponsoring this important legislation.
Cynthia Burkhart, Nunn
Read more:
http://www.greeleytribune.com/article/20100409/READERS/100409637/-1/rss
