Norton will permit unlimited toxic waste dumping by mining companies

October 10, 2003

Tonasket--The conservation community decries the opinion issued today by Interior Secretary Gale Norton that will permit unlimited toxic waste dumping by mining companies, such as Kinross Gold Corporation, which yesterday announced that it sought to acquire the right to mine gold from the old Crown Jewel site on Buckhorn Mountain in the Okanogan National Forest.

The 1872 Mining Law limits each 20-acre mining claim on federal land to a single five- acres site, to dump waste. This was reinforced in 1997 when the rule was applied by the Clinton administration's Solicitor General John Leshy to the proposed Crown Jewel open-pit gold mine in the Okanogan Highlands. Retired Senator Slade Gorton tried remove the provision from the Law in 1999 with a rider on the Kosovo Appropriations Bill, but it was rejected in Conference Committee. He was able to exempt the Crown Jewel Mine from the millsite provision with the now infamous "Midnight Rider".

The Bush Administration's Deputy Solicitor Roderick Walston offered a new opinion that was signed by Norton Wednesday and released Friday, eradicating the mill sites requirement, thereby allowing unlimited toxic waste dumps on federal land.

"Gail Norton and the Bush administration are making a mockery of the rule of law." said David Kliegman, executive director of the Okanogan Highlands Alliance. "It is time for the mining law to conform to 21st century values not weakened to civil war standards when all federal debt was paid in gold." "This most recent environmental rollback effectively deprives citizens of an important tool to limit the presence of contaminated mine waste in our national forests."

The Crown Jewel proposal was abandoned in the late 1990s in the face of staunch citizen opposition and concern that the project would contaminate the watershed. Yesterday, Kinross Gold Corporation, one of the largest gold producers in the world, announced its intent to acquire Crown Resources and move forward to mine the claims.

"The convergence of these two events fundamentally changes the landscape for mining operations in Washington," said Mo McBroom, staff attorney for the Washington Public Interest Research Group. "Kinross, one of the worlds largest mining companies, is actively buying up mine proposals and operations in the state. And now, Kinross has the green light to dump unlimited amounts of contaminated waste onto Washington's pristine national forests."

For More Information Contact: David Kliegman, Okanogan Highlands Alliance (509) 485-3361