[Congressional Record Volume 140, Number 141 (Monday, October 3, 1994)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]


[Congressional Record: October 3, 1994]
From the Congressional Record Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]

 
  INTERIOR SECRETARY SHOULD WITHDRAW PUBLIC DOMAIN FROM MINING LAW OF 
                                  1872

                                 ______


                         HON. NICK J. RAHALL II

                            of west virginia

                    in the house of representatives

                        Monday, October 3, 1994

  Mr. RAHALL. Mr. Speaker, today I call upon the Secretary of the 
Interior to utilize his administrative authority to withdraw the public 
domain from the further location of mining claims under the Mining Law 
of 1872.
  This action is necessary in light of the hardrock mining industry's 
blatant refusal to come to terms with any type of legislation, no 
matter how reasonable, to reform the Mining Law of 1872.
  After months of negotiation, yesterday the House-Senate conference 
committee on the reform bill collapsed after it became crystal clear 
that the hardrock mining industry would seek to defeat in the other 
body even an extremely moderate version of the reform bill.
  This House, by a 3-to-1 bipartisan margin, has passed a comprehensive 
reform bill.
  In conference, we were willing to consider a severely scaled-back 
version of this legislation in an effort to meet the demands of certain 
western interests.
  Yet, in the final analysis, the hardrock mining industry, guided by 
greed and guile, did not want a bill of any kind.
  It is fortunate that the Congress has recently imposed a 1-year 
moratorium on the Interior Department to prevent it from processing new 
mining claim patent applications.
  This action should be followed through by an administrative 
withdrawal of the public domain from the location of further mining 
claims. This, the Interior Secretary must do, and do so now.
  Moreover, next Congress I anticipate there will be a full-court press 
to gain needed reforms. We will use every legislative vehicle, employ 
every means, and open up any number of fronts in this endeavor.
  For ultimately, I remain convinced that the public interest, and not 
the corporate interest of a few, will be served.

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