Letter: Gibbons is wrong to give miners more access

Wednesday, June 16, 2004 | 9:15 a.m.

Rep. Jim Gibbons, R-Nev., continues his long-term scheme to give mining companies dominant access to public lands at the expense of recreation, wildlife and cultural resources. H.R. 2869 would circumvent the patenting moratorium imposed by Congress and give Canadian mining company Placer Dome the public lands where three of its major gold mines -- the Cortez Mine, the Bald Mountain Mine and the Getchell Mine -- are located for the surface value of the land (approximately $150-$500 per acre).

Although Placer Dome takes millions of dollars of gold from these mines each year, the mineral value of these lands would be specifically excluded from the appraisal of the land.

Currently, hardrock mining companies do not pay any royalties to the federal government for the hundreds of millions of dollars worth of minerals mined on public lands. Rep. Gibbons' contention that H.R. 2869 will raise royalties for education and clean-up of abandoned mines is an illusion. Claims with "proven valuable mineral deposits" would be exempt, leaving only future mining claims subject to any royalties.

Given that mining companies have blanketed these public lands with mining claims, the idea that any significant royalty revenue will be raised is a joke.

Finally, once these public lands are sold, the mines will be removed from federal oversight and no longer subject to federal environmental laws or bonding requirements for reclamation.

CRISTI BARKER

Editor's note: The writer is a Las Vegas-based organizer for Great Basin Mine Watch, a nonprofit environmental group that focuses on mining issues.