Washington – The U.S. House of Representatives today narrowly approved a bill that would let mining companies buy public land again in the Rocky Mountain West and speed up oil-shale development in Colorado.
Some environmentalists and ski towns worry the mining measure may also open public lands to new non-mining development.
The mining and shale provisions were included in a larger budget package that also included politically painful cuts across an array of programs for the poor, students and farmers.
The measure passed with a two-vote margin early today. All Colorado Democrats voted against the bill and all Colorado Republicans voted for it.
The Senate version of the bill calls for oil drilling in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, but not the mining changes. The differences will be worked out by a House-Senate conference committee starting next month.
The mining provisions would require mining companies to pay $1,000 an acre or fair market value for the public land they buy. They would still get the gold, silver or other metals for free.
Environmental groups and Colorado ski towns have warned that the mining provisions of the bill would open the sale of public land not just to mining companies, but also to real estate speculators looking for land to develop in ritzy mountain towns like Aspen, Breckenridge or Telluride.
But the mining industry and the author of the provision, Rep. Jim Gibbons, R-Nev., say there are safeguards to ensure it’s used only for legitimate mining operations.
The bill would also seek to speed up shale development in northwest Colorado by dropping requirements for consultation with state and local officials, capping royalties and limiting environmental review.
Sen. Ken Salazar, D-Colo., has pledged to try to strip out the shale changes.
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