USA: Mining justice advocates press for legislative action in Nevada
Published by MAC on 2021-04-24Source: Public News Service, PLAN
Three relevant bills to better regulate the industry.
Establishing a state-level environmental impact process, limiting the huge deductions operators can take on their taxes and making mining executives liable for cleaning up polluted sites (not just the corporate entity) sounds like reasonable legislative updates to the so called world’s top mining destination.
See also:
2009-02-02 Tribal Attempt to Halt Nevada Gold Mine Fails in Court
Mining Justice Advocates press for action on Earth Day
Suzanne Potter
Public News Service https://www.publicnewsservice.
April 22, 2021
April 22, 2021
RENO, Nev. -- Today, to honor the 51st annual Earth Day, environmental advocates are calling for action on three bills to better regulate the mining industry.
Assembly Concurrent Resolution 3 would direct the state to look into establishing a state-level environmental impact process with an environmental justice component.
Ian Bigley, mining justice organizer at the Progressive Leadership Alliance of Nevada (PLAN), said right now, projects only go through full environmental review if they are on federal land.
"It would ensure that we are applying environmental review to all significantly environmentally impactful projects in the state, regardless of if they're on federal land or not," Bigley explained.
Mining interests argue current environmental regulations are sufficient. PLAN also supports a proposal to limit the huge deductions mine operators can take on their taxes, which would generate millions for the general fund.
Bigley said he'd also like to see the so-called "bad actor law" pass. Assembly Bill 148 would make sure decision-makers within mining companies, not just the corporate entity, face liability for cleaning up polluted sites, because right now it's possible to leave a mess and start fresh.
"Those individuals can let that mining LLC fail, go bankrupt and open up new mines under a different corporate name in the state without having addressed the illegal environmental harms that they've caused," Bigley observed.
You can register your thoughts on any of the bills by going to the "share your opinion poll" section of the NELIS website run by the Nevada Legislature.
Assembly Concurrent Resolution 3 would direct the state to look into establishing a state-level environmental impact process with an environmental justice component.
Ian Bigley, mining justice organizer at the Progressive Leadership Alliance of Nevada (PLAN), said right now, projects only go through full environmental review if they are on federal land.
"It would ensure that we are applying environmental review to all significantly environmentally impactful projects in the state, regardless of if they're on federal land or not," Bigley explained.
Mining interests argue current environmental regulations are sufficient. PLAN also supports a proposal to limit the huge deductions mine operators can take on their taxes, which would generate millions for the general fund.
Bigley said he'd also like to see the so-called "bad actor law" pass. Assembly Bill 148 would make sure decision-makers within mining companies, not just the corporate entity, face liability for cleaning up polluted sites, because right now it's possible to leave a mess and start fresh.
"Those individuals can let that mining LLC fail, go bankrupt and open up new mines under a different corporate name in the state without having addressed the illegal environmental harms that they've caused," Bigley observed.
You can register your thoughts on any of the bills by going to the "share your opinion poll" section of the NELIS website run by the Nevada Legislature.