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REPUBLICAN HOUSE PSSES NEW MINING BILL
Posted on July 18, 2012 by blackhawkmines
Republicans in the House of Representative have passed a bill that basically exempts silver, uranium, copper and gold mining on federal land from formal environmental assessment, consequently making it more difficult for environmental organizations to oppose new mining operations.
The HR 4402 bill passed the House by a 256-160 margin and was sponsored by Rep. Mark Amodei is the latest in GOP-led House string of favor for the industrial sector.
The bill called National Strategic and Critical Minerals Production Act was approved by the Republican House with 22 Democrats voting in favor of it after debates that it could be a false pro-people legislation.
According to Republicans, such changes are required to keep the US in pace with the world in terms of mineral production, which is seen as crucial not only to manufacturing industries but also to national security.
This particular bill will grant the government the power to use state assessments instead of the federal environmental review. This review will be limited to fewer number of months and will only be allowed for an extension if both the mining company and the government agreed on one.
Unsurprisingly, this development is greatly supported by mining companies that are vying for access to the US resources.
Its approval of the bill on Thursday will require government agencies to limit their decision-making periods in issuing mining permits to 30 months.
“The whole idea of the National Environmental Protection Act is that there would be an independent review that involves public input, input from all affected interests, and input from somebody who speaks for the land, and somebody who speaks for the trees,” Rep. Rush Holt said.
Seventeen minerals are generally considered as “rare earth” minerals that the bill would supposedly cover. Unfortunately, the bill appears to be vague about the coverage and could also be used on minerals in unrelated sectors.
“The bill we are considering today is so broadly drafted, where apparently sand and gravel and crushed stone are considered rare and strategic, that the majority actually appears to be trying to usher in a new stone age,” Rep. Edward Markey said.
The House approval will send the legislation to the Senate, but it is likely to get ignored. Meanwhile, Black Hawk Mining Bulletin Articles has already expressed its strong opposition against the bill due to its environmental implications.
BLACK HAWK MINING BULLETIN ARTICLES: SMALL TOWN SUFFERS FROM GOLD HEIST
Posted on May 2, 2012 by blackhawkmines
Decades ago, huge quantities of gold was being pulled from this town, making it one of the richest place in California. But earlier this month, a different incident of obtaining gold nuggets earned the ire of locals.
Two men wearing suspicious clothing and carrying a crowbar apparently went in the Siskiyou Count courthouse through the men’s restroom window. The courthouse is home for the display of California’s most revered collection of gold.
The robbers appeared to have made a hole in the bulletproof glass at 1.00 am through which they have grabbed a million-dollar-worth in gold nuggets. Their stash included a rare 28-ounce specimen from 1913, called ‘the shoe’. They might have escaped several hours before the heist was discovered at seven in the morning.
The robbers got away with 351 ounces out of a 624-ounce set that has a value of USD 3 million for the quality of the specimen.
Residents are undeniably angry for what happened, saying that it would have been more forgivable to rob a bank than stealing a piece of their heritage which cannot be replaced.
Yreka, with a population of only around 7000, is one of the several California mining communities which has proudly kept their golden heritage for public display. This is despite of the USD 1,750/ounce price of gold in the market. In fact, 2 years ago, the county faced a fiscal crisis but they have not even considered selling off their gold collection that was amassed over time and donated by locals.
County sheriff declared the theft as stealing a piece of their region’s history and pledged a USD 15,000 reward for information that may lead to the suspects’ prosecution. The two robbers are described as men in early 20′s wearing black shirts, shoes and blue jeans.
The theft became a subject of suspicion around town mainly because an alarm set on top of the case did not go off. The second alarm, on the sliding glass, is still functioning but it was not moved by the robbers anyway. Townspeople are inclined to believe there has been a terrible inside job.
Gold seems to be the soul of the region. In 1851, a mule packer first discovered the presence of local gold and since then, mines like King Solomon, Golden Eagle and Black Bear have thrived.
Most of the communities that belong to Mother Lode are understandably proud of their heritage so they want to display their collections for people to see. However, doing that comes with loads of risks that they have to be aware of.
The county treasurer said that they can use the insurance claim in upgrading the museum but this act does not seem enough to console the residents.
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