Congressman Sander Levin

Overhauling U.S. Mining Law

Under the 1872 Mining Law, mining companies can extract gold, silver, platinum and other valuable "hardrock" minerals from publicly-owned lands without paying royalties to the American people. This arrangement stands in stark contrast to other mining industries that pay royalties to extract oil, coal, and natural gas from public lands.

This antiquated mining policy is simply wrong. The American people are entitled to a fair return on their land; in addition, mining companies should be required to restore the federal lands they have mined once mineral production has ceased. There are now more than 500,000 abandoned hardrock mines in the U.S. that will cost billions of dollars to clean up.

The Hardrock Mining and Reclamation Act will prohibit the continued giveaway of public lands by requiring mining companies to pay a fair royalty when they extract hardrock minerals. The bill also requires industry to comply with basic environmental and reclamation standards.

• Summary of the Hardrock Mining And Reclamation Act