Believe it or not, US laws for existing mines haven't been updated since 1872. That's ridiculously out-dated for any issue, but it's especially bad when it comes to mining. According to the EPA, "the mining industry releases more toxic pollution than any other." With stakes that high, laws this antiquted put us all in danger.
No wonder Colorado's Gold King mine turned the Animus River orange with 3 million gallons of lead and arsenic - and there are 2,700 more abandoned hard-rock mines that could be the next disaster. Is this the water we want our children drinking?
Under the 1872 law, not only do mining companies NOT have to pay royalties on private profits taken from OUR public resources, they don't even have to follow environmental regulations! They get the rewards, while we're stuck with all the risks. It's time for change, before another major spill happens - and with 2,700 of these mines littering the country with no oversight, that spill is definitely a question of when, not if.
Rep. Raul Grijalva (D-AZ) has introduced legislation called HR 964, or the "Hardrock Mining Reform and Reclamation Act of 2015." According to CNN, this bill "would charge the mining industry a modest reclamation fee that would generate $200 million per year to fund abandoned mine restoration and create an estimated 13,000 annual jobs."
Tell Congress: Mining corporations shouldn't be allowed to put us at risk for their private profit! Pass Rep. Grijalva's reforms today!
Image Credit: EPA
Dear Representative,
It is ridiculous that US laws for existing mines haven't been updated since 1872. That's outdated for any issue, but it's especially bad when it comes to something that produces as much toxic waste as mining. I find it especially appalling that mining companies do not have to pay royalties or follow environmental regulations for old mines.
No wonder Colorado's Gold King mine turned the Animus River orange with 3 million gallons of lead and arsenic sauce - and there are 2,700 more abandoned hard-rock mines that could be the scene of the next disaster. With old laws like these, the next spill is a question of when, not if.
This is not the water we want our children drinking.
Rep. Raul Grijalva (D-AZ) has introduced HR 964, called the "Hardrock Mining Reform and Reclamation Act of 2015." According to CNN, this bill "would charge the mining industry a modest reclamation fee that would generate $200 million per year to fund abandoned mine restoration and create an estimated 13,000 annual jobs."
Mining corporations shouldn't be allowed to put us at risk for their private profit! Please pass Rep. Grijalva's reforms through both chambers of Congress at once!
