“We are so grateful to Senators Udall, Bennet, Heinrich, and Representative Luján for championing reform of the antiquated 1872 Mining Law. Approaching the second anniversary of the devastating Gold King Mine catastrophe, we appreciate these leaders’ efforts to provide a dedicated funding source for cleaning up old and abandoned mines. Right now, too much of that burden falls upon taxpayers. Had we this funding source two years ago, the Gold King Mine disaster might not have occurred.
Real reform provides a fair return to taxpayers for our minerals. It holds the polluters responsible for their own mess. And it allows public land managers the discretion to balance hardrock mining with competing land uses. We look forward to working with the bill sponsors and other members of Congress on these common sense solutions to modernize our hardrock mining law to fit a modern 21st century industry. And to help fix the toxic legacy abandoned mines left behind from the last 145 years.”