June 30, 1999

Anti-enviro Rider Would Strip Limits on Mine Waste Dumping

Senator Larry Craig (R-ID) attached a rider to the Senate Interior Appropriations Bill that would eliminate the millsite provision that limits the amount of waste a mining company can dump on public lands. The millsite provision of the 1872 Mining Law is the only part of the law which actually protects taxpayers and the environment. If industry wishes to amend part of the law, they should come to the table to reform all of it.

Senator Murray spoke out strongly against the rider and called for comprehensive reform of the 1872 Mining Law. She should be thanked for her strong stand against the Craig mining rider to the Interior appropriations bill. Let her know we support her in her fight against the rider and urge Senator Murray to take the fight to the Senate floor --- to strip the Craig anti-environmental mining rider from the Interior Appropriations bill.

Senator Patty Murray: (202) 224-2621 fax: 224-0238

email:senator_murray@murray.senate.gov

MINERAL POLICY CENTER PRESS RELEASE

 June 24, 1999

Contacts: Stephen D'Esposito, Alan Septoff, 202-887-1872

ANTI-ENVIRONMENTAL RIDER WOULD STRIP-AWAY LIMITS ON MINE WASTE DUMPING

Environmentalists Call for an End to Mining Industry Special Favors (Washington D.C.) Today, Senator Larry Craig (R-ID) attached to the Senate Interior Appropriations Bill a rider which would weaken the 1872 Mining Law, an already outdated relic that has resulted in over $240 billion in taxpayer giveaways and over 500,000 abandoned mines. The net effect of the rider would be to remove current limits on the dumping of vast quantities of potentially toxic mining waste on public lands.

In March the Clinton-Gore Administration drew a hard line in the sand, taking action to prohibit illegal mine waste dumping on public lands. Enforcement of waste dumping limits provoked an outcry from many mining companies who had been, and expected to, benefit from lax enforcement. Senator Craig's rider seeks to effectively prevent enforcement of mine waste limits.

"On top of billion dollar giveaways of public gold and virtually free public lands, members of the Senate now want to give mining companies a free pass to dump their waste on our public lands" said Stephen D'Esposito, President of Mineral Policy Center. "It's time for the Clinton-Gore Administration to end the special favors to the mining industry and give taxpayers and citizens a break."

This rider could lead to substantial environmental damage. The mining industry produces more waste each year than all other industries and municipalities combined. "Mining waste isn't just any old pile of rocks, these are mountains of mine waste which can contain chemicals such as cyanide and heavy metals such as arsenic. They can lead to acid lakes and acid streams," continued D'Esposito.

"Taxpayers and environmentalists have been waiting 127 years to reform the 1872 Mining Law, but the mining industry and its supporters have always stood in the way. Now, when the mining industry finally finds a bit of the law it doesn't like, it seeks to expand the law, making it even worse," said Alan Septoff, Mineral Policy Center's Reform Campaign Director.

The 1872 Mining Law is archaic and outdated. It has given away over $240 billion in public minerals since its passage, and it contains no environmental protection provisions. As a result, it has left taxpayers a legacy of abandoned toxic waste dumps across the country. Mineral Policy Center estimates that abandoned mines could cost taxpayers up to $72 billion to clean-up. 

Mine waste dumps pollute surface and groundwater resources with acid mine drainage and heavy metals such as arsenic and lead. With its massive operations, the mining industry outgrew the Mining Law decades ago. Today's mining operations are bigger and produce more waste than the pick-and-shovel operations that the mining law was written to govern. The solution for environmentalists, taxpayers and the industry is not to expand the 1872 Mining Law to permit the dumping of waste rock on even more public land.

The solution is comprehensive environmental reform of the law. 

Mineral Policy Center (MPC) is the leading national environmental organization working to protect communities and the environment from the impacts of hardrock mining.

===Mineral Policy Center Working to Protect Communities and the Environment===

1612 K St., NW, Suite 808 Washington, D.C. 20006

202-887-1872 (ph) / 202-887-1875 (fax)

web: www.mineralpolicy.org / email: mpc@mineralpolicy.org