Nevada miners get cheeky in urging Congress to pass land bill

By Amber Phillips

Wednesday, Dec. 3, 2014 | 2 a.m.

What to do when you're a group of small-town residents trying to get the attention of a very busy Congress in its final weeks of the year?

For miners in Yerington, the answer was to shave half their beards.

About a dozen bearded residents and Nevada Copper employees in the hardscrabble Central Nevada town took a razor to just one side of their faces. The facial fashion statement is a reminder that a bill that would help expand the mine is only halfway through Congress. Nevada Copper started a media campaign — a website, a Facebook page and a YouTube video — to promote their cause.

"The message is half a beard looks kind of silly," said Timothy Dyhr, a vice president for Nevada Copper, who is among those sporting half of their facial hair. "Half a bill is just as ridiculous as half a beard. It's not done."

But there's a good chance the bill may get done before Congress leaves town for the year.

A lands bill that in part opens federal land to expand the Yerington copper mine passed the House of Representatives in September but still needs to pass the Senate before it becomes law.

On Wednesday, miners got news the Northern Nevada Land Conservation and Economic Development Act will be attached to a must-pass defense spending bill that is expected to pass both the House and the Senate in these next few weeks. In part due to negotiations from Sen. Harry Reid, D-Nev., seven other lands bills for Nevada are also in the defense bill: A proposal to create a national monument in Tule Springs and a bill to transfer about 400 acres of federal land for housing at the Fallon Naval Air Station, as well as land transfers in Northern Nevada.

"This is a win for Nevada," said Rep. Steven Horsford, a Democrat representing Yerington and Tule Springs. The Yerington bill is expected to create about 3,000 direct and indirect jobs.

It's good news for the miners in Yerington, but there's no room for error: Congress has, at most, three weeks of work days left in 2014. If the Senate doesn't pass the lands bills by then, lawmakers will have to start over with a new Congress in January.

In almost four years, this is the farthest the Yerington mine bill has ever gotten. Here's a play-by-play of its struggles in Congress.

But Congress has about two years of work to cram into its last two weeks. Lawmakers have to approve a federal budget before Dec. 11, sign off on a defense spending and debate how to battle Islamic militants and fight Ebola.

Here are a few other items on Congress' to-do list that affect Nevadans:

• Tax breaks: Nevadans would lose out, at least in the short term, if Congress can't reach a deal on extending $500 billion of tax breaks for individuals and businesses over a decade. At the very least, the taxes would extend retroactively through 2013. Among them is a federal tax write-off for people, like Nevadans, who pay state sales tax instead of income tax. Another is an exemption for mortgage debt forgiven for homeowners who lose their home in a short sale or foreclosure. The House of Representatives is expected to vote today to extend many of these tax breaks for one year, with the Senate following next week.

• Terrorism risk insurance: Congress also needs to approve a terrorism risk insurance program that expires at the end of this year. Sen. Dean Heller, R-Nev., is leading the push in the Senate to extend the federal program, which serves as a backstop for businesses in the event of a terrorist attack. Heller says the program will provide security for Las Vegas businesses.

With all that, here's a look at the Yerington miners and businessmen trying to make sure their priority is Congress' priority, too:

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  Courtesy: Nevada Copper

  Timothy Dyhr

  "It's been a frustrating four years," Dyhr, a vice president for the project, told the Sun. " … But we're further along than we've ever been."

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  Courtesy: Nevada Copper

  Matt Dusenbury

  "It's a huge benefit to Nevada, but only if we pass a bill," said Dusenbury, environmental manager at Nevada Copper.

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  Courtesy: Nevada Copper

  J. Murray Scobies

  Scobies is the owner of Scobies Grill in Yerington, a family restaurant that closed its doors in late November while waiting for the mine to expand, and Scobie's customer base along with it.

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  Courtesy: Nevada Copper

  Hank Ohlin

  "We deserve the 'full' deal," said Nevada Copper's senior geologist.

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  Courtesy: Nevada Copper

  Esteban "Steve" Chiquete

  "Get 'er done!!" said Chiquete, Nevada Copper's procurement manager.

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  Greg French

  French is a vice president and senior project manager for Nevada Copper and took the challenge.