Tell your House Rep. to Oppose HR761

The House majority has introduced a wolf in sheeps clothing. Deceptively titled "strategic and critical minerals" the bill would actually help gold mining companies and others who are, frankly, just making earrings.

HR 761, the National Strategic and Critical Minerals Production Act of 2013, would require less public review and environmental protection for all hardrock mines proposed anywhere in this country! This bill takes an already privileged industry and gives them even more, while harming rural communities and putting clean water at risk.

The zombie mining law of 1872 is eating our public lands!

It limits community consent, shuts the courthouse door to citizens seeking legal remedies, and broadly grants favor to mining companies for anything dug out of the ground - from gold to frac sand - while poisoning our air and water.

We need your help. Tell the House of Representatives we will not sacrifice our rights, our health, and our sacred places to the mining industry!

TAKE ACTION: Tell you Member of the House of Representatives to Vote NO on HR 761.

Instructions:

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For more information:

Materials:

• NOTE: Selling mineral-bearing public lands for $5/acre is authorized by the 1872 Mining Law. But a temporary block, that must be annually renewed, prevents new purchases at this point.
• Earthworks: The General Mining Law of 1872
• Earthworks: Testimony of Executive Director Jennifer Krill
• Earthblog: House Committee Moves Mining Bill That Limits Community Consent
  
  House Committee Moves Mining Bill That Limits Community Consent - See more at: http://www.earthworksaction.org/earthblog/detail/house_committee_moves_mining_bill_that_limits_community_consent#.UdsklOv8Vz8
• Earthworks: HR 761 Factsheet
• Earthworks: Attractiveness of the United States for Mineral Investment
• US House of Representatives: Text of HR 761
  

Background on critical minerals:

In the name of promoting "critical" mineral development in the United States, HR 761, the National Strategic and Critical Minerals Production Act of 2013, could muffle or silence community and environmental concerns when new mines are proposed.

So-called strategic or critical minerals, like rare earths, are used in the manufacture of items we use every day, like mobile phones.

According to the Department of Energy, what's holding back "critical" minerals development is not community or environmental concerns about mining.

But HR 761, in the name of critical minerals, could effectively silence the voices of mining impacted communities anyway. Worse yet, the definition of "critical minerals" could be so broad that traditional hardrock minerals like copper and gold could be considered for fast tracking in the permit process.