House Resources Committee Ranking Member Nick J. Rahall (D-WV) issued the following statement in response to the announced withdrawal of the mining language inserted in the budget reconciliation bill:
"The battle is still joined on the issue of Mining Law reform and it is a welcomed one. As these issues get increased scrutiny by the public, the more absurd they become.
"Today, multinational corporations are mining publicly owned valuable minerals like gold and silver without paying a royalty to the owners of these lands, the American taxpayer. At the same time we have an effort underway to jettison a decade of public policy, and resume the sale of mining claims for a pittance. Meanwhile, Congress is considering cutting food stamps and other social programs for the needy.
"Advocates of responsible Mining Law reform must not become complacent, as the language we saw inserted in the budget bill remains a real threat. Energy and Minerals Subcommittee Chairman Gibbons has stated he intends to work on ‘mining law modernization next year’, and the budget bill has afforded us the opportunity to preview where these efforts are headed.
"I, along with my colleagues Jay Inslee and Christopher Shays, have introduced legislation this year to reform the Mining Law of 1872. Responsible reform of this antiquated law must balance the needs of the American taxpayer, the hardrock mining industry, and the environment."
The Federal Mining Development and Land Protection Equity Act of 2005
Rahall’s legislation would prohibit the continued give-away of public lands. It would require that a holding fee be paid for the use of the land, and that a royalty be paid on the production of valuable minerals, such as gold and silver, extracted from Western Federal lands. It would also require industry to comply with some basic reclamation standards to insure long-term protection of the environment, both during mining and after it has been completed.
Rahall has been embroiled in mining law reform since 1987, when he was the Chairman of the Energy and Minerals Subcommittee. Through his efforts, with bipartisan support, Congress has placed an annual moratorium on the patenting (the purchase) of mining claims on Federal lands since 1994.
![[New for the Democrats - Committee on Resources - U.S. Rep. Nick Rahall, Ranking Democrat - 1329 Longworth HOB - Washington, DC 20015]](news_banner.gif)
