House of Representatives Protects the Grand Canyon!

Jun 25-- Today Chairman Grijalva (D-AZ) and the House Natural Resources Committee took an important step in protecting the Grand Canyon from uranium mining. By a 20-2 vote the committee passed a resolution to withdraw new claim staking for the next three years.

• Read the press release
• Read Chairman Grijalva's statement here.
• Read more background from Grand Canyon Trust here.

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EARTHWORKS sues to protect local fisheries in Montana

Jun 10-- EARTHWORKS and three other groups have sued Revett Minerals and the state of Montana to protect a threatened bull trout fishery from the Rock Creek Mine proposal in the Cabinet Mountains wilderness.

The suit challenges their attempted end-run around public comments and state laws which prevent pollution in state waters that would harm local fisheries.

• Read the press release
• Read the lawsuit text
• Read the Rock Creek community voice

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EARTHWORKS Tells American Petroleum Institute:
Action speaks louder than words

May 28 -- Rather than actually trying to solve the problem, the API has responded to skyrocketing energy prices by creating a multimillion dollar advertising campaign aimed at burnishing its public image.

EARTHWORKS sent a letter to the API urging them to spend the money instead on renewable energy investment. The letter also informs the API that the best public relations a company can hope for is to do good works and have others sing their praises.

The letter to API is the first move in EARTHWORKS' new No Dirty Energy campaign, a complement to the successful No Dirty Gold campaign.

• Read the EARTHWORKS press release.
• Read EARTHWORKS' letter to the API.
• Read the Washington Post story.
• Read the American Petroleum Institute's response.

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EARTHWORKS congratulates ICMM on selection of new president

May 15 -- "EARTHWORKS congratulates the International Council for Mining and Metals on [Dr. Tony Hodge's] appointment as its new president. [Dr Hodge's] breadth and history of experience working with industry, government and other stakeholders should well serve the ICMM -- and the industry -- in this challenging time."

• Read the complete letter to the ICMM.

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EARTHWORKS and others urge action in the Sudan

May 12 -- An extensive coalition of religious, human rights, corporate accountability and other groups from 17 countries world wide have signed on to an open letter to the UN Global Compact, urging it to pressure PetroChina before an upcoming shareholders meeting to work with the Sudanese government to end the crisis in Darfur. PetroChina is linked to the Sudan's largest petroleum industry company and in a unique position to help end the 5 year genocide in the region.

• Read the press release here
• Read the open letter, with sign on list, here

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Prison for protecting your community?

Tell the Ontario government to release jailed indigenous leaders!

April 22 -- As you read this message, seven First Nation leaders sit in jail for peacefully protesting mining activities on their traditional lands in the boreal forests of Ontario, Canada.

Your voice can help convince Ontario that this heavy-handed approach is unacceptable - and that the free, prior and informed consent of local communities is an essential pre-requisite to mining.

Take Action!

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EARTHWORKS Journal -- spring 2008
is here

Mar 26-- The EARTHWORKS Spring 2008 Journal is now available! In this issue, learn about our successes in passing HR 2262, the Hardrock Mining and Reclamation Act! This is an extremely important step in our attempt to reform and update the 1872 Mining Law.

You can also read about our efforts to promote ethically sourced jewelry, and about the successes of the Madison Dialogue in bringing together many different sectors of the jewelry industry to discuss and advance this important cause.

And don't forget to check out our spotlight on board member, Michael Conroy, author of the book Branded!

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Don't tarnish the Oscars with "dirty gold"

Feb 22 -- Washington, D.C. -- In the lead-up to the Oscar awards ceremonies in Los Angeles on Sunday, more than 2,000 activists have sent letters and faxes to the celebrity jeweler Harry Winston, urging the company to commit to human rights and environmental standards for sourcing gold and precious metals.

Concerns about "dirty" or irresponsible mining practices have already prompted 29 leading jewelry retailers, including Tiffany Co., Cartier and Piaget Gold to sign on to these standards, which are known as the "Golden Rules." However, Harry Winston, jeweler to the stars, still lags behind in this regard.

• Take Action! Urge Harry Winston to sign the golden rules.
• Read the EARTHWORKS press release

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Jewelry retailers urge protection for Alaska's Bristol Bay

Report highlights impacts of Alaska's Pebble mine proposal and others that violate the Golden Rules.

Bear in the Bristol Bay watershed. Credit: Ben Knight

Feb 12 --Five of the nation's leading jewelry retailers supporting the Golden Rules today announced their support for the protection of Alaska's Bristol Bay from large-scale metals mining. The proposed Pebble gold-copper mine threatens the fisheries and livelihood of people in the Bristol Bay area.

The Pebble proposal features in the report Golden Rules: Making the Case for More Responsible Mining, also released today, as a mine that violates the Golden Rules for more responsible mining. The report documents the devastating impacts of metals mining at 16 other places in the world, including Ghana, Indonesia, Papua New Guinea, Australia, and Nevada.

28 jewelry retailers have now signed on to the Golden Rules to indicate their desire to source minerals from mines that uphold principles protecting human rights and the environment.

• Read the facts on the Pebble proposal and dirty gold.
• Read the press release.
• Read the Golden Rules: Making the Case for More Responsible Mining

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Sen. Domenici Advocates for Sham Reform at Senate Hearing

Jan 25 --Last week the Senate Energy and Natural Resource committee held a hearing on 1872 Mining Law reform. During the hearing Senator Pete Domenici, the ranking member, laid out an agenda for "reform" of the antiquated 1872 Mining Law that amounted to a watered-down version of the real mining reform that passed the House of Representatives last year.

Domenici's sham reform would not protect communities and the environment. It omits essential initiatives of the House bill such as:

1. environmental and reclamation standards,
2. allowing communities a voice in mine proposals that would affect them, and
3. enabling land managers to weigh mining against other potential land uses like hunting, fishing or other conservation values.

For more info:

• Read the press release
• Watch the hearing or read testimony submitted for the record.
• Learn more about real mining reform at miningreform.org

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HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
VOTES TO REFORM 1872 MINING LAW

Click the pic for a flick showing why that dastardly villain, the 1872 Mining Law, needs to be reformed.

Nov 01 -- The House of Representatives passed real 1872 Mining Law reform for this first time since 1993 by a vote of 244 to 166.

This is a HUGE step towards requiring responsible mining practices on public lands in the U.S.

• Read the EARTHWORKS press release.
• Find out how your Representative voted.
• Learn more about the need for mining law reform at www.miningreform.org.
• Read a variety of resources concerning the bill that just passed the House: HR 2262
• See an online cartoon about that mockery of wise public land use. the 1872 Mining Law.

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Natural Resources Committee Overhauls 1872 Mining Law

Oct 23 -- The House Natural Resources Committee voted to overhaul the 1872 Mining Law. They passed HR 2262, the Hardrock Mining and Reclamation Act of 2007 and amendments.

This vote is the first major step on the road to ultimate reform of the Mining Law. Consideration by the full House is expected later this fall.

• Read the press release.
• Learn about the vote on HR 2262 (pdf).
• Read the environmen tal/taxpayer group letter urging Congress to support HR 2262.
• Learn more about the larger fight to reform the 1872 Mining Law.

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New Research Reveals Mining Industry-backed Royalty Scheme Fails Taxpayers and the Environment

Oct 02 -- EARTHWORKS' new white paper, A Hardrock Royalty: case studies and industry norms, demonstrates that mining industry advocated royalties provide neither a fair return to taxpayers for publicly-owned minerals nor adequate revenue to clean up America's hundreds of thousands of abandoned hardrock mines.

Mining industry advocates champion a "net profits" or "net proceeds" royalty. A Hardrock Royalty demonstrates that the only two states that use such royalties, Nevada and Alaska, receive inadequate revenues: less than 1% of mineral value in Nevada's case and approximately a tenth of a percent in Alaska's case.

• Read a A Hardrock Royalty: case studies and industry norms
• Read the press release.

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EARTHWORKS Calls on Mining Co. to Disclose Pollution Risks at Suspended, Potentially Leaking, Mine

Sep 11 -- EARTHWORKS, as part of a multinational coalition of environmental and human rights organizations, is calling on Glencairn Gold to disclose information about suspected cyanide and metals pollution from its Bellavista gold mine in Costa Rica.

Glencairn shut down the mine in late July following substantial earth movements, and has reported in financial statements that the mine "may remain closed indefinitely".

• View ph otos of the mine after the incident.
• Read a background er on the mine.
• Read the press release.
• Tell Glencairn's CEO they must clean up their mining mess.

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Groups Call on Shell Not to Drill Sacred Headwaters for Coalbed Methane

Sep 11 -- A multinational coalition of groups placed an advertisement in the Financial Times calling upon Royal Dutch Shell to abandon its plans to explore for coalbed methane at the Sacred Headwaters of British Columbia's Stikine, Sheena, and Nass Rivers.

The coalition, which includes the Dogwood Initiative, EARTHWORKS, ForestEthics, Friends of the Earth, Greenpeace, and Sierra Club of Canada, is part of a diverse and growing opposition to Shell's attempt to develop one of the largest, intact predator-prey ecosystems in North America.

• Read the press release.
• Read the coalition's joint letter to Shell.
• See the Financial Times ad.

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EARTHWORKS Urges World Bank to Strengthen Guidelines for Controversial Mining Projects

Sep 06 -- EARTHWORKS, as part of a coalition of anti-poverty and environmental organizations, has called on the International Finance Corporation (the private sector arm of the World Bank) to re-write and improve its new environmental and safety guidelines for large-scale mining projects. The coalition released a 20-page analysis that found serious shortcomings in the IFC's draft guidelines.

• Read the press release.
• Read the coalition' s analysis of the draft IFC guidelines.
• Read the IFC draft guidelines.

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NRC Would Limit Public Debate on Dangerous Uranium Mining

Aug 31 -- In-situ uranium mining is the most common form of new uranium mining proposal. To-date, it also fails to restore pre-mining water quality 100% of the time.

The Nuclear Regulatory Commission is proposing to limit public debate on in-situ uranium mining proposals by allowing a "one-size-fits-all" environmental review for all these proposals.

• Take Action: tell the NRC not to limit public input on in-situ uranium mining.
• Read the Fe deral Register notice announcing the NRC proposal.
• Read an Albuqu erque Tribune op-ed opposing the NRC proposal.

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Congress Considers 1872 Mining Law Reform

July 26 -- The House Energy and Minerals subcommittee today heard arguments for (and against) updating the 1872 Mining Law with the passage of HR2262, the Hardrock Mining and Reclamation Act of 2007. Clean water, special places, communities and the environment would all benefit from passage of HR2262, introduced earlier this year by House Natural Resources Chairman Nick Rahall of West Virginia.

• Read the statement of EARTHWORKS President Steve D'Esposito.
• Learn more about the effort to reform the 1872 Mining Law at miningreform.org.
• Sportsmen want mining law revised.
• Read the hearing testimony on the committee's website.
  

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New Evidence Shows Gold Mine Releasing Massive Unreported Mercury Air Pollution

June 11 -- New Nevada state data reveals that Queenstake's Jerritt Canyon mine may have released as much as 6,000-8,000 pounds of mercury air pollution in 2005 and 2006. Yet they only reported 300-400 pounds.

The new information elevates Jerritt Canyon to the single largest source of mercury air pollution in the entire U.S., releasing four to five times as much mercury as the next largest source

Great Basin Mine Watch and EARTHWORKS sent a letter asking the state take immediate action to reduce these emissions. They also warned Queenstake they would take legal action if the company doesn't fully disclose its emissions as required by federal law.

• Read the press release.
• Read the 60 day notice of intent to sue Queenstake.
• Read the letter to the Nevada Division of Environmental Protection asking for immediate action.

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National Precedent Set by New Landowner Protection Law

May 29 -- Today Colorado Governor Ritter signed one of the most powerful state laws in the nation in terms of protecting landowners' right and the environment.

The bill requires, for the first time, that oil and gas companies --

• Consider the rights of landowners;
• Minimize intrusion upon and damage to the land;
• Use alternative means of operation to prevent impacts;
• Failing to minimize their intrusion upon the surface give a landowner a cause of action (to bring a lawsuit); and
• Bear the burden of proof in any litigation - not landowners - when it comes to demonstrating their reasonable use of the surface.

Read the press release.

Read the bill text.

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Mining Reform Bill Introduced

May 10 -- On the 135th birthday of the 1872 Mining Law, Representatives Nick Rahall (D-WV) introduced new legislation to bring the 19th century land use law into the 21st century.

With record high metals prices, new mines are being proposed across the western U.S. Residents fear that, if the 1872 Mining Law still governs these mines, their drinking water, wildlife, and public health may be harmed.

The Rahall mining reform bill would address these concerns by -

• Setting strong standards to protect precious water resources from toxic mine waste;
• Imposing a federal royalty to compensate U.S. taxpayers for extracting valuable minerals from public lands;
• Protecting special places by allowing officials to deny mines that threaten clean water, important wildlife and fisheries, recreation and other values; and
• Allowing meaningful public input from communities and water users affected by proposed mines.
• Ending patenting, a vehicle for federal land giveaways.

Learn more about the 1872 Mining Law, the HR2262 the Hardrock Mining and Reclamation Act of 2007 (including bill text), and EARTHWORKS' mining reform campaign at www.miningreform.org.

Read the press release.

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Groups Urge Newmont to Address Shareholder and Community Concerns

April 23 -- In advance of Newmont Mining's annual meeting tomorrow, community groups from around the world urged the company to address human rights and environmental concerns at its gold mining operations and investments.

Newmont's projects have been beset by controversy, prompting shareholders to file two resolutions calling on the company to review its policies on community engagement and waste disposal.

• Read the press release.

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