Mining Reform is Essential to Holding Mining Companies Accountable and Protecting Public Lands and Communities

Earthjustice Action Applauds Reintroduction of the Mining Waste Fraud, and Abuse Prevention Act

WASHINGTON, DC—Today, Senator Ben Ray Luján (D-N.M.), Representative Raúl M. Grijalva (D-Ariz.), and House Natural Resources Committee Ranking Member Jared Huffman (D-Calif.) introduced the Mining Waste, Fraud, and Abuse Prevention Act. The bill would update the General Mining Act of 1872 to require mining companies pay a royalty on minerals extracted from public lands; implement important environmental protections to safeguard the environment, water resources, public health, and cultural resources; and require mining companies to remediate finished mining sites. If passed, the bill would be the first meaningful update to mining law in over 150 years.  

“For too long, mining companies have received a sweetheart deal from the government, allowing them to enrich themselves with minerals from our public lands while avoiding federal royalties or reclamation mandates,” said Earthjustice Action Senior Legislative Representative Blaine Miller-McFeeley. “This bill would finally require mining companies to pay their fair share for mineral extraction while protecting communities, special places, and water resources from exploitation and degradation—something current mining law has failed to do. Meaningful mining reform, coupled with increased mineral recycling, will allow us to secure our mineral supply chains and meet demand in the most sustainable and just way possible.” 

Unlike oil, gas, and coal extraction, mining companies are not required by law to pay a federal royalty. Mining is considered by the Environmental Protection Agency to be the most toxic industry in America and has a long history of negatively impacting the environment and public health of communities near mining sites. According to an estimate from Morgan Stanley Capital International (MSCI), 97% of nickel, 79% of lithium, 68% of cobalt, and 89% of copper deposits in the U.S. are located within 35 miles of Native American Reservations, bolstering the need for stronger community and environmental protections.