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Briefing: On eve of Senate ENR Committee, Americans rally for 1872 mining reformOn January 23, 2008, the day before a Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources hearing on modernizing the 1872 mining law, state and local officials from the West and the Pew Campaign for Responsible Mining hosted a telebriefing to recap last year's success in the House and outline opportunities to pass a meaningful reform bill in the Senate. Speakers described the launch of a movement of Americans who all have a stake in mining law reform. Across the West, the number of claims has shot up since January 2003, with an 81 percent increase by July 2007. Hardrock mining is the nation's leading source of toxic pollution, according to the Environmental Protection Agency. This month, stakeholders have taken to their capitols, town halls and editorial pages in western states, calling on their Senators on the ENR committee to develop a genuine reform package that builds on the success of H.R. 2262, the bipartisan measure that passed the House of Representatives in November 2007. The ENR committee's hearing is Thursday, January 24. The 1872 mining law, signed into law by President Ulysses S. Grant, governs the mining of gold and other hardrock minerals on federal lands in the West. It offers special status to those filing claims on public lands — without safeguarding watersheds, wildlife or communities from the messy business of mining.
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