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Support the Biden Administration's call for reform to the 1872 Mining Law
On September 12th, the Biden-Harris Administration’s Department of Interior-led Interagency Working Group on Mining Laws, Regulations, and Permitting (IWG) released its final report outlining the results and recommendations that came from months of collaboration and analysis of our nation’s antiquated mining laws.
Formed in February 2022, the IWG, comprised of industry experts in mine permitting and environmental law from across Federal Agencies, the mining industry, Tribes, and NGOs, was tasked to evaluate the 1872 Mining Law which governs hardrock mining on our public lands and form recommendations how the United States can more swiftly and responsibly produce the mineral resources needed to meet the global transition away from fossil fuels.
The report outlines more than 60 recommendations directed toward Congress and Federal agencies responsible for mine permitting. Recommendations focused on making permitting processes more consistent and predictable for industry, protecting impacted communities and workers, and the environmentally and culturally sensitive lands they cherish.
Additionally, the report called for long-overdue reforms for the 1872 Mining Law that currently fails to provide the American taxpayer with any direct financial compensation for the value of hardrock minerals extracted from public lands. “Over the last 150 years, around 3.2 million acres of federal land—an area approximately the size of Connecticut—and an estimated excess of $300 billion in mineral wealth, have been transferred out of public ownership” as a result of hardrock mining in the United States. Other extractive industries such as timber, coal, oil, and gas extraction all have leasing and royalty regimes established to compensate for the damages that come hand-in-hand with extraction.
In addition to highlighting the appalling shortcomings of the mining law itself, the report focused many recommendations on increased communication and consultation with Tribes and frontline communities who often feel the negative effects of the mining industry at a disproportionate level.
As we continue to transition away from fossil fuels and see increased demand for mineral resources globally, it is imperative that our elected leaders follow the recommendations outlined in the IWG’s final report.
Please take a moment to call on your elected representatives to urge them to take action to modernize this over 150-year old law and address many of the deep injustices that have resulted from the hardrock mining industry’s exploitation of our public lands. TAKE ACTION NOW!
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