New Mining Rules
"Bush White House Reverses Clinton Decision on Mining" -- New York Times (free registration required) http://www.nytimes.com/2001/10/26/politics/26MINE.html?ex=1004760000&en=79e33a134b56657a&ei=5040&partner=MOREOVER
"New Mining Regulations Overturn Late Clinton Rules" -- Washington Post
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A53812-2001Oct25.html
"Mining Industry Cheers Bush Plan" -- AP (via Yahoo!News)
http://dailynews.yahoo.com/h/ap/20011026/us/mining_regulations_1.html
"BLM To Retain Key Hardrock Mining Rule Provisions" -- BLM
http://www.blm.gov/nhp/news/releases/pages/2001/pr011025_3809.htm
BLM Regulatory Actions
http://www.blm.gov/nhp/news/regulatory/index.htm
Current "3809" final regulations -- BLM
http://www.blm.gov/nhp/news/regulatory/2000f.html#3809-final
National Mining Association
http://www.nma.org/
EarthWINS
http://www.earthwins.com/
The Bush administration yesterday overturned some of former President Clinton's eleventh hour legislation governing mining. The Department of the Interior's Bureau of Land Management (BLM) explains that the new rule, amending the "3809" surface mining regulations, will eliminate "several unduly burdensome provisions of the current mining regulations." Among the provisions being eliminated is one that allows the Secretary of the Interior to prohibit new mines on federal land if they could cause "substantial irreparable harm" to the environment or communities. The administration is, however, keeping provisions that regulate the use of cyanide in gold mining and the control of acid waste, as well as those that require mining companies to issue reclamation bonds to ensure they will have money for clean up. The new regulations will be published as a final rule on Tuesday and take effect 60 days later. Also, in a separate action, a top legal advisor for the Department of the Interior recommended reversal of a legal decision issued under former Secretary Bruce Babbitt to block an open-pit gold mine near sites sacred to the Quechan Tribe in California. This is perhaps the beginning of more wide-reaching changes to mining laws as Gale Norton, Secretary of the Interior, intends to ask for Congress' help in a more wide-reaching overhaul of the mining laws.

Yesterday's changes are covered by the New York Times, Washington Post, and AP (via Yahoo!News). The Bureau of Land Management has issued a press release, and the new regulations will be posted for comment on Tuesday at BLM's Regulatory Actions site. Users can see the current "3809" regulations also at the BLM site. The National Mining Association, which favors the changes in regulations, has more information about US mining activities on-site as does EarthWINS, which provides Website services for a host of environmental activist groups. [TK]
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