10.19.15

Oppose H.R. 1937 - Dear Colleague Letter

Ranking Member Raúl M. Grijalva sent the following letter to the House of Representatives to urge votes against H.R. 1937, the National Strategic and Critical Minerals Production Act of 2015:

Oppose H.R. 1937: The Not-So-Strategic and Not-Particularly-Critical Minerals Production Act

Dear Colleague:

Are you worried that the United States is becoming dependent on imported sand and gravel? Do you fear that we could face a crippling shortage of crushed stone? Concerned that foreign governments could threaten us with a talcum powder embargo?

Of course not. And you shouldn’t be, because the United States is self-reliant in all of these common minerals. But under H.R. 1937, they would be defined as “strategic and critical minerals”, and quarries around the nation would suddenly enjoy expedited permitting, reduced environmental reviews, and protection from citizen lawsuits. Worse yet, the bill is so broadly written it could even include coal.

Just because a mineral is useful doesn’t make it “critical” or “strategic.” The National Academy of Sciences defines a mineral as “critical” only if there are no acceptable substitutes, and if there is a significant risk that the U.S. supply could get cut off. But rather than focus on truly critical and strategic minerals, such as rare-earth elements necessary for high-tech applications where we are completely reliant on imports, H.R. 1937 applies that definition to any mineral with any use whatsoever in our economy. The mining industry couldn’t ask for anything more.

The worst part is, mining already enjoys special privileges on public land because we’re still operating under a 143-year-old law that cheats the taxpayers, fails to protect the environment, and bequeaths us a toxic legacy of over a half-million abandoned mines. H.R. 1937 takes us in the completely wrong direction. If we’re going to debate a mining bill, we should be protecting the environment, protecting the American taxpayers by placing a royalty on the extraction of public minerals, and forcing the mining industry to start paying for the cleanup of abandoned hardrock mines.

H.R. 1937 has nothing at all to do with critical or strategic minerals. It doubles down on the failed mining policies of the past, so I urge you to vote NO on H.R. 1937.

Sincerely,

Raúl M. Grijalva
Ranking Member
House Committee on Natural Resources