Crapo Sponsors Legislation to Protect Mining in the West

Washington, D.C.--U.S. Senator Mike Crapo (R-Idaho) joined Senate colleagues in introducing the Mining Regulatory Clarity Act.  The legislation allows critical mineral production to continue in the West.  This legislation would address the recent Rosemont judicial decision, which could upend responsible mining projects by prohibiting mining-support activities, like waste or processing, on lands that do not contain economically valuable minerals.  The decision is a significant departure from long-held mining practices and, without congressional action, could threaten critical mineral projects in Idaho and across the West.

“As America strives for stronger mineral and technology independence, we should be doing all we can to assist domestic production in mineral-rich states like Idaho,” said Crapo.  “This legislation provides regulatory certainty for America’s mines while protecting high-paying, quality jobs in the industry from ever-changing supervisory whims of an activist court.”

The Mining Regulatory Clarity Act amends the Mining Law to address the restrictive Rosemont Decision, which requires mining plans to include only public lands proved to contain economically-valuable minerals, even if those lands are planned to be used for mining-support activities such as waste or processing sites.  This bill reaffirms long-held practice and previous legal interpretation that some public land use under a mining claim inherently accompanies exploration and extraction activities for other mining-support activities.

This legislation is co-sponsored by Senators Jim Risch (R-Idaho), Catherine Cortez Masto (D-Nevada), Jacky Rosen (D-Nevada) and Kyrsten Sinema (I-Arizona).