Hardrock mining : information on types of state royalties, number of abandoned mines, and financial assurances on BLM land : testimony before the Subcommittee on Energy and Mineral Resources, Committee on Natural Resources, House of Representatives.
The General Mining Act of 1872 helped open the West by allowing individuals to obtain exclusive rights to mine billions of dollars worth of gold, silver, and other hardrock (locatable) minerals from federal lands without having to pay a federal royalty. However, western states charge royalties so th...
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| Corporate Authors: | , |
| Format: | Government Document eBook |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
[Washington, D.C.] :
U.S. Govt. Accountability Office,
[2009]
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| Series: | Testimony ;
GAO-09-429T. |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://purl.fdlp.gov/GPO/LPS111324 |
| Summary: | The General Mining Act of 1872 helped open the West by allowing individuals to obtain exclusive rights to mine billions of dollars worth of gold, silver, and other hardrock (locatable) minerals from federal lands without having to pay a federal royalty. However, western states charge royalties so that they share in the proceeds from various hardrock minerals extracted from their lands. For years, some mining operators did not reclaim land used in their mining operations, creating environmental and physical safety hazards. To curb further growth in the number of abandoned hardrock mines on federal lands, in 1981, the Department of the Interior's Bureau of Land Management (BLM) began requiring mining operators to reclaim BLM land disturbed by these operations, and in 2001 began requiring operators to provide financial assurances to cover reclamation costs before they began exploration or mining operations. This testimony focuses on the (1) royalties states charge, (2) number of abandoned hardrock mine sites and hazards, and (3) value and coverage of financial assurances operators use to guarantee reclamation costs. It is based on two GAO reports: Hardrock Mining: Information on Abandoned Mines and Value and Coverage of Financial Assurances on BLM Land, GAO-08-574T (Mar. 12, 2008) and Hardrock Mining: Information on State Royalties and Trends in Imports and Exports, GAO-08-849R (July 21, 2008). |
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| Item Description: | Title from title screen (viewed on February 27, 2009). "For release ... February 26, 2009." Electronic resource. |
| Physical Description: | 12 pages : digital, PDF file. |
| Format: | Mode of access: Internet from GAO web site. Address as of 2/27/2009: http://www.gao.gov/new.items/d09429t.pdf ; current access available via PURL. |
| Bibliography: | Includes bibliographical references. |