[Congressional Record Volume 159, Number 130 (Friday, September 27, 2013)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1393]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




      SOUTHEAST ARIZONA LAND EXCHANGE AND CONSERVATION ACT OF 2013

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                               speech of

                         HON. CHRIS VAN HOLLEN

                              of maryland

                    in the house of representatives

                      Thursday, September 26, 2013

       The House in Committee of the Whole House on the state of 
     the Union had under consideration the bill (H.R. 687) to 
     facilitate the efficient extraction of mineral resources in 
     southeast Arizona by authorizing and directing an exchange of 
     Federal and non-Federal land, and for other purposes:

  Mr. VAN HOLLEN. Mr. Chair, today's legislation proposes to give two 
of the world's largest, foreign-owned mining companies--Rio Tinto and 
BHP Billiton--2,400 acres of the Tonto National Forest, which has been 
protected since 1955, in exchange for land the companies currently own. 
The companies believe the Federal land contains significant copper ore 
deposits.
  I am not opposed to responsible domestic energy and mineral 
production as long as Americans get full value for the use of their 
resources and environmentally sensitive areas are protected. Today's 
legislation does not meet either test. The bill includes a convoluted 
appraisal process that fails to take into account the copper deposit on 
the land and requires no future royalty payments for that resource. It 
does not require mitigation or even analysis of damaging effects on the 
local ecosystem, waiving environmental review and Endangered Species 
Act protections. Finally, the bill does not guarantee preservation of 
traditional Native American sacred sites.
  Ultimately, the bill gifts an environmentally sensitive and 
historically significant area to a foreign company without proper 
review or compensation for the American taxpayer. I urge a no vote.

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