RE: Mining Law reform

Dear Representative ,

I urge you to protect America's clean water, special places and cultural heritage from polluting mines by cosponsoring real reform of the 1872 Mining Law--HR 3968, the Federal Mineral Development and Land Protection Equity Act of 2005. This important bill moves mining law out of the 19th century and into the 21st. It would protect special places and important water sources by creating sensible rules that would encourage responsible mining, while simultaneously prohibiting mines that would threaten places that we hold dear.

America's special places are at risk because the federal government interprets the 1872 Mining Law to allow hardrock mining to trump all other uses of public lands. Under the current law, mining can occur even if a proposed mine site is upstream from a municipal water source or next to a Wilderness Area or National Park, an important recreation, hunting, fishing or ranching area, or important wildlife habitat. There are places where mines simply do not belong--but the current mining law simply does not reflect this fact.

HR 3968 would change this, specifically marking special places that deserve protection from mining. Mines would not be permitted if they would harm National Parks, Wilderness Areas, Historic Places, Wildlife Refuges, Wild and Scenic Rivers, Endangered Species habitat, sacred sites, and areas containing significant water supplies.

HR 3968 would also help taxpayers by eliminating billions of dollars in mining industry subsidies. The 1872 Mining Law does not require the mining industry to pay royalties on valuable minerals taken from public lands, even though the BLM estimates that close to 1 billion dollars in minerals are mined from our public lands each year. HR 3968 would establish an 8% royalty--similar to the one paid by coal, oil and natural gas extractors. Money generated by that royalty would help pay the 32 to 72 billion dollars it will cost to clean up mines abandoned under the 1872 Mining Law. Furthermore, HR 3968 would prevent taxpayers from being saddled with additional mine cleanup liability costs by requiring mining companies to financially guarantee that they can adequately clean up their mine--before they begin mining.

Enacted before Custer's last stand, the 1872 Mining Law helped settle the West. Now it's time to protect communities that live there, their precious clean water, and the special places that they have come to treasure. Please cosponsor HR 3968, the Federal Mineral Development and Land Protection Equity Act of 2005, and do everything you can to ensure its passage.

Most Sincerely,

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