[Congressional Record Volume 158, Number 104 (Thursday, July 12, 2012)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1245]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                               H.R. 4402

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                          HON. EARL BLUMENAUER

                               of oregon

                    in the house of representatives

                        Thursday, July 12, 2012

  Mr. BLUMENAUER. Mr. Speaker, today, I was disappointed that the House 
passed the National Strategic and Critical Minerals Production Act of 
2012 (H.R. 4402). Like many people, I am deeply concerned about our 
country's, and the world's, increasing dependence on unstable and 
unreliable Chinese mining practices to provide the ``rare earth 
minerals'' that our industries need. However, the legislation passed by 
the House waives almost all environmental laws for all types of 
hardrock mining, even though the mining of these materials can be 
extraordinarily dangerous and toxic. This incredibly broad waiver hurts 
communities, public lands, and the environment, and supports big, 
mining industries at the expense of the American taxpayer.
  I had hoped that H.R. 4402 would serve as an expression of our 
commitment to make sure the United States is properly supplied with 
these minerals that are essential for the economy and our national 
security. Instead, I am disappointed because my colleagues failed to 
tailor the legislation to specifically meet this need and included an 
overly broad definition of ``rare earth minerals.'' This bill would 
have benefited from a clear definition of what the rare earth minerals 
are, which would have been achieved by an amendment offered by my 
colleague, Representative Tonko. Instead, the sweeping exemptions from 
environmental regulations have created a partisan issue where none 
existed before.
  I sincerely hope that when this issue is revisited in the future, we 
are able to work in a bipartisan manner to strike a balance that allows 
us to acquire our necessary supplies in a way that is efficient, safe 
for our workers, and protects the environment.

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