The Honorable Raúl Grijalva
Chairman
House Natural Resources Committee
1324 Longworth House Office Building
Washington, DC 20515
The Honorable Rob Bishop
Ranking Member
House Natural Resources Committee
1329 Longworth House Office Building
Washington, DC 20515
The Honorable Alan Lowenthal
Chairman
House Natural Resources Subcommittee on Energy and Mineral Resources
1324 Longworth House Office Building
Washington, DC 20515
The Honorable Paul Gosar
Ranking Member
House Natural Resources Subcommittee on Energy and Mineral Resources
1329 Longworth House Office Building
Washington, DC 20515
Chairman Grijalva, Ranking Member Bishop, Chairman Lowenthal, and Ranking Member Gosar,
The Colorado Mining Association strongly opposes H.R. 2579, “The Hardrock Leasing and Reclamation Act of 2019.” If enacted, this legislation will jeopardize the viability of the domestic hardrock mining industry through imposition of unwarranted punitive fees and an unworkable regulatory framework.
The Colorado Mining Association advocates in support of the responsible development of Colorado’s natural resources. Mining in Colorado employs over 40,000 Coloradoans and contributes nearly $7 billion annually toward Colorado’s Gross Domestic Product.
The importance of metals and minerals to the development of our nation cannot be overstated. However, considering the current and potential growth in the manufacturing and new energy technology sectors, combined with national security applications, hardrock minerals are poised to be more critical than ever before. Supporting permitting reforms that allow for greater environmentally responsible domestic resource development, instead of locking in our nation’s ever-increasing import reliance, is responsible federal policy.
As one of the most regulated industries in the world, the hardrock mining industry continually looks for ways to improve worker safety and environmental outcomes. This is driven not only by the more than three dozen federal and state environmental regulations governing mining activities, but also our desire to protect our employees and the communities in which we live and work. Supporters of H.R. 2579 ignore not only the hard work and achievements of those in the mining industry, but also those of federal and state land management agencies dedicated to ensuring proposed projects meet all legal and environmental requirements. Further, this bill’s punitive provisions will ensure no new domestic investment in mines on federal lands and eviscerate the very revenue stream that bill proponents claim they wish to use for cleanups.
The hardrock mining industry continues to support efforts to address legacy AML sites and stands willing to provide our expertise and assistance to improve public safety and environmental outcomes. Unfortunately, H.R. 2579 and the decades of similarly punitive bills that came before it, continues to lean on tired anti-mining talking points long since uniformly discredited.
Lawmakers should instead support responsible resource development policies that encourage increased domestic production of the minerals and metals that are essential to manufacturing, clean energy technologies and our national defense. This type of thoughtful policy will improve supply chain security and bolster economic growth and innovation.
Sincerely,
Stan Dempsey, Jr.
President
