DENVER—Landowners, outdoor groups and conservationists called on Congress Wednesday to update the 135-year-old law that governs hard-rock mining on federal land in the West.
Critics say the 1872 law, signed by President Grant, lacks safeguards for water, wildlife and communities.
They say it also allows miners to take gold, uranium and other hard-rock minerals from public lands without compensating taxpayers.
Colorado has a stake in the debate, said Eddie Kochman, a former aquatic wildlife manager for the Colorado Division of Wildlife who said his property is threatened by mining pollution.
Kochman said mine runoff is a risk to the state’s streams and rivers, and to the domestic water supplies, fishing and other recreation they support.
“Ongoing pollution from abandoned mines, as well as new mines, where pollution standards are weak, or not enforced, pose a major threat to the future well being of these streams and rivers,” he said.
The House passed a bill in November that would impose the first-ever federal royalties on gold, silver, copper and other metals, beef up environmental controls and give federal agencies the ability to reject a proposed mine that would irreparably harm the environment.
The bill faces a rough time in the Senate.
Industry officials say they don’t oppose updating the law or charging royalties, but they say the fees included in the House bill would be punitive and that allowing agencies to reject mining proposals would hurt the industry.
Prices for many of the metals covered by the hard-rock mining law have surged in recent years as worldwide demand has increased.
Sen. Ken Salazar, D-Colo., said he supports changes that include a Good Samaritan provision to protect groups or companies willing to clean up abandoned mines from legal liability under the federal Clean Water Act.
There are about 500,000 abandoned mines nationwide, some dating to the 1800s, according to federal statistics. Lead, arsenic and other metals from some of the mines have contaminated lakes and streams, including water sources in Colorado.
