November 19, 1999

MESSAGE TO MINING COMPANIES: STOP ILLEGAL WASTE DUMPING

MINING RIDER COMPROMISES IMPROVE ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION

PUBLIC OUTCRY STRENGTHENS CLINTON-GORE STANCE

(Washington, D.C.) White House and congressional negotiators have finally struck a deal on the FY 2000 appropriations bill that removes most of the worst impacts from three anti-environmental riders that would have legalized more mining pollution on public lands in the western U.S., and in valleys and streams around the country. The compromise bill passed the House on Thursday and will probably pass the Senate sometime Friday or Saturday.

Not all objectionable aspects of the mining pollution riders were removed, but the Clinton-Gore administration, aided by Senators Richard Durbin (D-IL) and Patty Murray (D-WA), and Representatives Christopher Shays (R-4-CT) and Jay Inslee (D-1-WA), prevailed in its objective to eliminate most anti-environmental impacts.

Success was very much in doubt until late yesterday evening, when Senators Robert Byrd (D-WV) and Larry Craig (R-ID) chose to attach their combination coal/hardrock anti-environmental mining rider to a bill that will never become law, rather than forcing it onto the budget bill and risking a government shutdown. The Byrd-Craig rider, which was successfully attached to the dead bill (a superfluous continuing resolution) by a 55 to 33 vote, would have legalized coal mine waste dumping into streams, permitted unlimited hardrock mine waste dumping on public lands, and eviscerated stronger hardrock mining environmental protections. Although the

Byrd-Craig rider did not become law, the vote foreshadows the re-emergence of the issue sometime early next year.

"The administration, with broad public support, rejected industry-backed proposals to turn America's public land and West Virginia's streams into waste dumps for the mining industry. These proposals would have turned-back the environmental clock by decades," said Stephen D'Esposito, president of Mineral Policy Center.

"Defeat of these riders is a rejection of bad environmental policy and it's a rejection of awarding special favors to polluting industries attached to must-pass spending bills," continued D'Esposito. "We shouldn't forget that none of these anti-environmental riders had support and none would have withstood a public debate on their own merits."

MPC STATEMENT ON ANTI-ENVIRONMENTAL MINING RIDERS

The Clinton-Gore administration has made significant progress in its efforts to defeat the most objectionable aspects of the three proposed anti-environmental mine pollution riders and to protect America's public land and streams. However, all of this progress will be jeopardized if any such provisions are subsequently added to the appropriations bill, such as language that would weaken restrictions on dumping coal waste in West Virginia's streams.

The appropriations language, as it stands, will allow the administration to issue new rules for hardrock mining to protect public lands and taxpayers. That's good news since these new environmental safeguards are long overdue.

The appropriations language would enforce waste dumping limits (through legal limits on the number and size of millsites for mines operating on public lands) for any mine plan submitted to the government after November 7, 1997. The administration should be credited with eliminating most of the worst aspects of the millsite rider that was attached to the conference report. However, some mines will be exempted by this grandfather provision.

Mineral Policy Center supports enforcement of mine waste dumping and millsite limits at all planned mines. Further, the administration should be applauded for its efforts, to date, to reject any and all riders that would allow exemptions to the Clean Water Act and SMCRA, and that would allow coal waste to be illegally dumped in West Virginia's streams.

Mineral Policy Center (MPC) is the leading environmental organization working to protect communities and the environment from the impacts of hardrock mining.

===Mineral Policy Center Working to Protect Communities and the Environment===

1612 K St., NW, Suite 808 Washington, D.C. 20006

202-887-1872 (ph) / 202-887-1875 (fax)

web: www.mineralpolicy.org / email: mpc@mineralpolicy.org

"Pure water is more precious than gold!"

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