1872 Mining Law
The 1872 Mining Law, which governs hardrock mining on 350 million acres of federal public lands, is out of touch and out of scale with modern industrial mining, and desperately needs to be updated.
Issues
The Initiative for Responsible Mining Assurance
IRMA is a multi-sector initiative that offers independent, third-party auditing and transparency at mine sites using its 400+ page standard.
Abandoned Mines
Abandoned and inactive mines are one of the main contributors to mining pollution in the western United States.
Abandoned Mines in the Western United States
See a list of abandoned mines by state.
Acid Mine Drainage
Acid mine drainage is one of mining’s most serious threats to water. A mine draining acid can devastate rivers, streams, and aquatic life for hundreds, and under the “right” conditions, thousands of years.
Acidizing
Acidizing is used in aging wells that are in the final stages of production. It primarily uses hydrochloric and hydrofluoric acids, which companies have been increasingly using higher concentrations of, putting communities at risk.
Air Pollutants
Both oil and gas well sites and processing and transmission infrastructure emit pollutants into the atmosphere from different equipment and …