Congresssional poll on 1872 mining law

[eridani]

The House Committee on Natural Resources is currently hosting a poll on their website asking about reform of the 1872 Mining Law, a provision that gives mining companies virtually free access to rich mineral deposits on public land with no requirement to pay royalties. And, the law allows claimholders — including companies wholly owned by foreign corporations — to buy public land outright for no more than $5 per acre, with mining given precedence over all other uses for the land. Particularly since modern mining operations can cover hundreds of acres, involve large volumes of toxic materials, and create huge amounts of waste, this is a law in desperate need of change, and we want to let the committee know that people across the country support mining law reform.

The poll currently has only a handful of responses, so let's see how many voices we can add and make the committee members and staff take notice. Our goal — 99% support in the poll for changing the 1872 Mining Law. Vote today! http://www.net.org/mining/poll.html

[Bobbieo]

1. I sometimes wonder how progressive some of these DU

posters really are when I am the only one who has given you a response.

I have a blog - Native Unity - and many of the 632 articles that have been posted over the past four years pertain to the very subject you are discussing - the shameful way that the 1872 Mining Law has literaly destroyed the environment of this nation and numerous countries around the globe and created hundreds of thousands of needless illnesses caused to mine workerse and their families because of the toxic materials - like cyanide - used in mining procedures.

I posted an article on Native Unity which was transferred to DU yesterday about the humman rights protest that was held in front of the Marriott Hotel in Denver yesterday - Thursday - boycotting the awards ceremony for Wayne Murdy CEO of the Newmont Gold Mining Corporation who has been charged with various human rights and environmental abuses thoughout his worldwide mining intersts.

More information on Newmont abuses can be found at the Western Shoshone Defense Project's website - www.wsdp.org.

In Western Shoshone territories, a Newmont miner has been reported missing yesterday after a cave-in at a mine owned by Newmont and the Toronto based Barrick Gold Company. The mine is near Winnemucca, Nevada.

Yes, eridani I voted to reform that 1872 MIning Law.