Reid: No mining law reform in 2010
Elko Daily Free Press, 3/11/2010 - ELKO — Congress won’t act on mining law reform this year, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev., said Wednesday, although he would like to see reform agreeable to the mining industry.
“The mining companies want it, and I want it, but based on the schedule of the Senate, it won’t make it this year. We’re just overloaded. We won’t have time to get to this,” he said.
Reid said the mining law reform he is talking about is what can be worked out with the mining industry.
“We’ve got to work out what they want, and I will take care of them,” said the senator, who is scheduled to be the guest speaker at the Elko County Democratic Party’s Roosevelt/Kennedy Dinner April 7.
The industry opposes bills introduced last year in the House and Senate to reform the 1872 law, including one that Rep. Nick Rahall, D-W.VA., chairman of the House Resources Committee, offered in the House that calls for an 8 percent gross royalty on hard-rock minerals mined on public lands.
Hearings were held last year on the Rahall bill and a bill introduced by Sen. Jeff Bingaman, D-N.M., chairman of the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee, that allowed for a varying royalty rate and had more flexibility but still didn’t have industry support.
Mining law reform has come before Congress many times over the years, and Reid has used his influence to block bills that the industry opposes. Mining is a major industry in Nevada, especially in northeastern Nevada.
The senator also said his request for more funding to protect the sage grouse would help the mining and ranching industries.
The U.S. Department of Interior announced last week that the sage grouse wouldn’t be named to the endangered species list now but was slated for future listing.
Reid said he asked the U.S. Department of Agriculture for extra money to mitigate and protect sage grouse while protecting mining, ranching and renewable energy development.
“We want to try to get it done beforehand so it won’t be listed,” he said.
Reid said he is aware Nevada has been working on sage grouse protection for some time, but “we need bigger programs.”
The senator filed for re-election earlier this week, and he said “the No. 1 reason I filed is the need to create more jobs in Nevada.”
He said Elko County is fortunate its unemployment rate hasn’t been as high as the statewide rate of 13 percent, but Nevada needs jobs. Elko County’s rate is 8.1 percent.
Reid said the extended highway bill will save 1 million jobs, and he has worked to help prevent housing foreclosures and promoted energy transmission lines and renewable power facilities to create jobs.
“It’s a new era. It’s not simply building roads and houses. I met with President Clinton today on job creation. He had great ideas,” Reid said.
Health care reform is a key issue that his Republican opponents have pointed to in the U.S. Senate race, but Reid said reform is needed, and he is optimistic Congress will pass legislation.
“There are people in Elko County and the other 16 counties in Nevada who are in need of health care reform,” he said. “There were 750,000 bankruptcies filed in 2008, and 70 percent of those were over health care, and 80 percent of those had health insurance. People think they are protected by health insurance.
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Reid: No mining law reform in 2010
Elko Daily Free Press, 3/11/2010 - ELKO — Congress won’t act on mining law reform this year, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev., said Wednesday, although he would like to see reform agreeable to the mining industry.
“The mining companies want it, and I want it, but based on the schedule of the Senate, it won’t make it this year. We’re just overloaded. We won’t have time to get to this,” he said.
Reid said the mining law reform he is talking about is what can be worked out with the mining industry.
“We’ve got to work out what they want, and I will take care of them,” said the senator, who is scheduled to be the guest speaker at the Elko County Democratic Party’s Roosevelt/Kennedy Dinner April 7.
The industry opposes bills introduced last year in the House and Senate to reform the 1872 law, including one that Rep. Nick Rahall, D-W.VA., chairman of the House Resources Committee, offered in the House that calls for an 8 percent gross royalty on hard-rock minerals mined on public lands.
Hearings were held last year on the Rahall bill and a bill introduced by Sen. Jeff Bingaman, D-N.M., chairman of the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee, that allowed for a varying royalty rate and had more flexibility but still didn’t have industry support.
Mining law reform has come before Congress many times over the years, and Reid has used his influence to block bills that the industry opposes. Mining is a major industry in Nevada, especially in northeastern Nevada.
The senator also said his request for more funding to protect the sage grouse would help the mining and ranching industries.
The U.S. Department of Interior announced last week that the sage grouse wouldn’t be named to the endangered species list now but was slated for future listing.
Reid said he asked the U.S. Department of Agriculture for extra money to mitigate and protect sage grouse while protecting mining, ranching and renewable energy development.
“We want to try to get it done beforehand so it won’t be listed,” he said.
Reid said he is aware Nevada has been working on sage grouse protection for some time, but “we need bigger programs.”
The senator filed for re-election earlier this week, and he said “the No. 1 reason I filed is the need to create more jobs in Nevada.”
He said Elko County is fortunate its unemployment rate hasn’t been as high as the statewide rate of 13 percent, but Nevada needs jobs. Elko County’s rate is 8.1 percent.
Reid said the extended highway bill will save 1 million jobs, and he has worked to help prevent housing foreclosures and promoted energy transmission lines and renewable power facilities to create jobs.
“It’s a new era. It’s not simply building roads and houses. I met with President Clinton today on job creation. He had great ideas,” Reid said.
Health care reform is a key issue that his Republican opponents have pointed to in the U.S. Senate race, but Reid said reform is needed, and he is optimistic Congress will pass legislation.
“There are people in Elko County and the other 16 counties in Nevada who are in need of health care reform,” he said. “There were 750,000 bankruptcies filed in 2008, and 70 percent of those were over health care, and 80 percent of those had health insurance. People think they are protected by health insurance.
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