Palangkaraya Post News

A mining law reform bill passed the House last year, and now the Senate is looking at it. A committee led by Senator Bingaman is expected to bring forth a bill soon to reform the 135-year-old law that governs hardrock mining, including gold and uranium. The current hard rock mining laws, which include uranium mining, are 135 years old, and considered way out of date. Jane Danowitz with the Pew Campaign for Responsible Mining says New Mexico has been one of the states hardest hit by pollution from old mines, and the legislation would charge royalties on what companies take from public land and use some of that money to help pay for cleanup, “It’s important to remember that these international corporations are still allowed to take precious resources from U.S. public land without compensating taxpayers.” The royalties would be similar to what coal, gas and oil companies pay. The U.S. House already passed such legislation. Opponents say the royalties are too high. Meanwhile, backers of the law have kicked off a campaign to raise public awareness about the issue.
(more…)

Premier Beattie has done a flip-flop before, when he commissioned a study on the effects of uranium mining on the coal mining industry in Queensland. When that report stated that there would be very little impact on the coal industry, Beattie said he would allow uranium mining if the Labour Party changed it’s policy at the April convention. Then he changed his opinion and said he would NOT allow uranium mining. So, given whatever influences there are in the political world, it appears Beattie will go with the most current flow