Letter to Hon. Lisa Markowski, Chairman of the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources, and Hon. Joe Manchin, Ranking Member of the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources - Udall, Heinrich Call for Senate Hearing on Hardrock Mining and Reclamation Act

Letter

Dear Chairman Murkowski and Ranking Member Manchin:

We respectfully request that the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee consider scheduling S. 1386, the Hardrock Mining and Reclamation Act, for the committee's next available hearing date.

Mining companies, both foreign and domestic, are governed today by a law that has changed little since the actual California Gold Rush that gave rise to the Act in the first place. Today, this Civil War-era statute gives individuals and corporations the authority to extract minerals from public lands without owing anything in royalties to the federal government--unlike any other industry, including coal, oil, and gas. A hearing would provide an opportunity for all stakeholders--states, environmental groups, and industries--to come together and discuss mining reform.

This hearing request and the underlying legislation are particularly timely in light of the Administration's proposed plan to "streamline" permitting and "improve access" to critical minerals on our public lands. If the Administration and Congress are to consider such significant changes to mining on public lands, they must address the lack of federal royalties and reclamation fees, and find a solution for the thousands of abandoned mines releasing toxic pollution into the limited water supplies across the West.

We respectfully request that the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee consider a hearing for this important and long-overdue bill.

Sincerely,