Markey: Republicans Reward Company Sharing Uranium with Iran
Republicans Reject Royalty Payments, Sacred Land Protections, Made in America Mining in Corporate Land Giveaway
WASHINGTON (October 26, 2011) - House Republicans today bequeathed 2,300 acres of American land to a company that shares a uranium mine with Iran, but not before Republicans rejected the notion that the company should sever all ties with the dangerous Iranian regime before the company is given public land to mine copper. Republicans also blocked Democratic amendments to their bill that would have required companies to pay royalties on the copper found on taxpayer-owned land to the taxpayer, or to support American jobs and businesses if the mine is opened.
The Iranian ties are through the majority stakeholder in the mine, the British and Australian mining company Rio Tinto. Rio Tinto owns 65 percent of the largest open pit uranium mine in Namibia. The second largest partner in the mine -- at 15 percent -- is the government of Iran (which also includes two members on the mine's board of directors). House Democrats offered Republicans a vote to allow the land deal in Arizona to move forward, but only after Rio Tinto severed ties with the oppressive Iranian regime.
Republicans rejected the idea that we shouldn't condone partnerships with Iran to mine uranium, a key component of nuclear weapons, by a vote of 237 to 187.
"House Republicans today voted to reward a company that partners with the Iranian government to mine nuclear material with a multi-billion dollar giveaway of taxpayer-owned land," said Rep. Ed Markey (D-Mass.), the top Democrat on the Natural Resources Committee, which has jurisdiction over resource development on public lands.
The Iran vote, a so-called "Motion to Recommit", was offered by Rep. Ted Deutch (D-Fla.).
House Republicans also rejected an amendment by Rep. Markey that would have required companies to pay an eight percent royalty to taxpayers on the copper extracted from the mine. The amendment was defeated by a 173-238 vote.
"Rio Tinto and others want to mine for copper on taxpayer land, but House Republicans won't allow a single copper penny in royalties to be collected on the material taken from the mine," said Rep. Markey.
House Republicans also rejected an amendment from Rep. Ben Ray Lujan (D-NM) to protect sacred Native American sites on the proposed mining lands. That amendment was defeated by a 189-233 vote.
And House Republicans rejected the idea that mining companies at the Resolution Copper site should prioritize local, American workers, supplies and businesses when extracting copper from the mine. That amendment, offered by Reps. Raul Grijalva (D-Ariz.) and John Garamendi (D-Calif.), was defeated by a 182-240 vote.
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