1872 Mining Law Reforms Headed to the Senate

By Evan Woodward

Las Cruces, NM – -On November 1st the United States House of Representatives passed the Hardrock Mining and Reclamation Act of 2007, which if enacted would be the first federal reform on the industry since 1872. Currently hardrock mining is the only extraction industry which does not pay royalties to taxpayers when using public lands. As KRWG's Evan Woodward reports, New Mexico's Democratic United States Senator Jeff Bingaman, who is Chairman of the Energy and Natural Resources Committee says it's very important to reform the 135 year old law.