Hardrock Mining and Reclamation Act - Sample Letter to the Editor

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Dear Editor,

The 1872 Mining Law still governs the mining of uranium, gold, molybdenum and other precious metals on public lands. It allows mining companies to stake claims and take whatever minerals they find without paying royalties to the U.S. taxpayers who own these public lands. It contains no environmental standards to protect our precious water supplies or natural resources and wildlife.

The 1872 Mining Law has left a critical legacy of abandoned mines, polluted streams, degraded drinking water, and harmed fish and wildlife in Arizona and across the west. According to the U.S. EPA, hardrock mining has polluted about 40% of the headwaters of all western streams. In fact, the EPA's 2005 Toxics Release Inventory showed that the hardrock mining industry released more toxics into our air, land and water, than any other industry in the U.S. In our state, we have multiple Superfund clean-up sites as a result of mining pollution.

In Arizona, our public lands provide important natural resources to our residents and visitors alike. Our streams and rivers provide high quality drinking water and attract millions of tourists for recreational fishing, rafting and boating. Our public land and our wildlife attracts out-of-state vacationers for hunting and wildlife watching. Arizona's public lands generate millions of dollars in revenues for our businesses and are important to our state's economic health. Mining pollution and the failure to adequately reclaim the land puts these special natural attractions at great risk.

The Hardrock Mining and Reclamation Act of 2007 will provide modern reforms to mining to correct taxpayer inequities and protect our precious water supplies, fish and wildlife. Specifically, this bill will:

Provide a fair return to taxpayers by charging a reasonable 8% royalty on the value of minerals taken from public lands;

Establish accepted environmental, clean-up and reclamation standards to protect water resources and wildlife;

Create funds to clean-up abandoned mines and to assist communities impacted by mining; Require reclamation bonding to cover the cost of clean-up and reclamation so taxpayers donŐt foot the bill; and

Abolish the patent system that permanently sells our public lands to multinational corporations for as little as $2.50 -$5.00 per acre.

I strongly urge you to join as a co-sponsor of this important legislation. It is past time for Congress to update the outdated 1872 Mining Law with reform that protects our Arizona communities and important natural resources. Please support the Hardrock Mining and Reclamation of 2007, HR 2262.

Sincerely,


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