The House will debate bipartisan legislation this week that could expand mining activity on public lands.
H.R. 1366 from Nevada Reps. Mark Amodei, a Republican, and Steven Horsford, a Democrat, would allow a company to establish mining claims for lands where it deposits tailing — the waste material from mineral extraction — within an approved plan of operations.
Companies would not have to first establish valuable minerals underground, as is currently required under a 2019 legal decision involving the Rosemont Copper project in Arizona.
While proponents argue the bill would ease restrictions on mining companies, environmental groups and many Democrats, like Natural Resources ranking member Jared Huffman (D-Calif.), have argued the language could open the door for mining on public land without sufficient oversight.
