FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
November 1, 2007
For More Information:
Amos Johnson, NAAC, (928) 871-6380 or 637-3551
Brad Powell, TU, 928-300-5451
Sarah Luna, ACP, 480-205-3809
Renzi Disappoints on Mining Vote
Sports enthusiasts, Native Americans & Taxpayers Biggest Losers
(Phoenix) Arizona organizations supporting comprehensive mining law reform today expressed disappointment over Congressman Rick Renzi’s vote against H.R. 2262, the Hard Rock Mining & Reclamation Act. The measure passed the House of Representatives by a vote of 244 to 166 and will now go to the Senate for consideration.
Sports enthusiasts, conservationists, the Navajo Nation and the 20 tribes represented by the Arizona Inter-Tribal Council formed a broad coalition of mainstream Arizonans who communicated regularly over the past several weeks encouraging Congressman Renzi to support the legislation. Unfortunately, the Congressman chose special mining corporation interests (many of them foreign-owned) over those of his constituents.
“Arizona’s public lands are littered with thousands of abandoned mines that degrade water quality in headwater streams and threaten fish, wildlife and human health,” said Brad Powell, Arizona Public Lands Coordinator, Trout Unlimited. “The new law will mean that money is available to clean up abandoned mines and that citizens are part of the decision making process.
“H.R. 2262 strikes a reasonable balance between economic considerations and the need to protect health, safety, resources and critical habitats. The realized goal of the mining reform coalition was to make it abundantly clear that mainstream Arizonans strongly support balanced mining reform. That Congressman Renzi did not see his way clear to supporting the bill is unfortunate.”
The 1872 law has not been significantly changed in 135 years. Companies reap huge financial benefits in the midst of a mining claims rush in Arizona today while they pay no royalties and pay bargain-basement prices for land. These companies are not subject to the same environmental
standards as other companies extracting resources from public lands and taxpayers are left footing the bills for abandoned mines and pollution of water and land.
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