Times Change...And So Should The 1872 Mining Law

The Latest:

Hello?! It's Been 136 Years
On May 10^th 1872, President Ulysses S. Grant signed the General Mining Law. We have just passed yet another anniversary of this milestone, our 136^th. Little has changed since then and giant corporations are still receiving the same sweet deal. View the Pew Campaign for Responsible Mining's new ad.

Senator Cantwell, Western Lawmakers Urge Swift Action
On May 8^th, the eve of the 136^th anniversary of the mining law, the Pew Campaign held a telebriefing featuring New Mexico lawmakers and key western stakeholders. Participants discussed the proliferation of new mining claims, record-breaking industry profitability, and rising cleanup costs left to taxpayers. Listen to the briefing.

150 Groups Call on U.S. Senate to Protect Grand Canyon
On April 24, recreation and conservation groups in 24 states across the country sent a letter urging the U.S. Senate to protect the Grand Canyon National Park by reforming the 135-year-old mining law. Read the press release as well as the letter [PDF] issued by the groups.

Mines Staking a Claim
Thousands of new mining claims have sprouted near Colorado cities and towns, including the densely populated Front Range and mountain resorts. These stakes aren't relics of a bygone era; they all have been filed in the past five years. Read the April 11 op-ed by Penelope Purdy, senior associate with the Pew Environment Group.

President Ulysses S. Grant on Whistle Stop Tour
Beginning March 25, President Ulysses S. Grant will visit four cities for a whistle stop tour as part of a campaign to modernize the Civil War-era law that governs gold, uranium and other hardrock mining in the West. Find out more! Update: New photos and audio available.

Background

The cost to Americans has been high.

• The U.S. Treasury loses an estimated $100 million a year because the metal mining industry — unlike coal, oil and gas companies — can extract valuable resources from public land essentially for free.



• Taxpayers face a $50 billion cleanup bill from this industry, which releases more toxic pollution than any other.



• Claimholders can buy public land for $5 an acre or less, and use it for anything from condominiums to casinos. An area nearly the size of Connecticut has already been sold at these 1872 prices.

Worse yet, a new rush is on in the West. Over the past five years, mining claims for uranium, gold and other metals on public lands have increased almost 50%. Many of these new claims — staked largely by foreign-owned companies — lie near national treasures such as the Grand Canyon, as well as highly populated urban areas and tribal lands.

It's time to reform the 1872 Mining Act and reclaim our public lands for future generations.