As an Arizona resident for over 40 years, and a former supervisor in the mining industry, I have seen firsthand the importance that mining plays in our state. Many of our towns are reliant on hard rock mining as a way to sustain a stable local economy. So when I saw that Congress introduced a mining policy bill, I felt I needed to write my Congressman to support it, and I urge everyone else to do the same. Like it or not, many of the products we use every day (like computers and light bulbs) are from foreign mineral sources. H.R. 2011 eases our dependence on those foreign minerals and ensures jobs in the mining industry for decades to come. We simply cannot forget that our state was built on the mining industry. We must not abandon it now.
Jeffrey Fox
Mesa
Accuracy posted at 3:46 pm on Sun, Jun 12, 2011.
H.R. 2011, the National Strategic and Critical Minerals Policy Act of 2011, is everything that Jeffrey Fox wrote about and what Cerulean posted.
China continues to hold all the minerals and they can cut off supply. Mining of minerals creates jobs domestically and having more access to these minerals means the U.S. have more security because there won’t be any shortages due to China’s tightening restrictions on exports of the metals (like Rare-earth) from China.
Dale Whiting posted at 8:58 am on Sun, Jun 12, 2011.
Cerulean,
If what I recall was contained in the National Geograpics article in June's issue is true, we have no domestic sources other than recycling. And if your assessment of H.R.2011 is correct, than why does Jeff call it a mining bill?
Regarding HR 1904, how is it worse than its predecessor? According to today's paper, we are still struggling to identify lands for the swap. We have environmentalists and native Americans complaining about either the loss of the lands which Resolution wants or the lands to be taken in exchange. Sounds to me like South Mountain on steriods!
Jeff, either you answer Cerulean and I or you stop being a mining expert!
Cerulean posted at 7:56 am on Sun, Jun 12, 2011.
Jeffery,
Yesterday I could not find information on H.R. 2011, I thought you had made a mistake on the HR#. Here is a quick review of H.R. 2011:
“H.R. 2011: This Act may be cited as the `National Strategic and Critical Minerals Policy Act of 2011'.
To require the Secretary of the Interior to conduct an assessment of the capability of the Nation to meet our current and future demands for the minerals critical to United States manufacturing competitiveness and economic and national security in a time of expanding resource nationalism, and for other purposes.
(2) the exploration, production, processing, use, and recycling of minerals contribute significantly to the economic well-being, security, and general welfare of the Nation;
(7) it is essential to the national interest to ensure an expanding and competitive manufacturing industry built upon a healthy mining and minerals industry;
(a) In General- It is the continuing policy of the United States to promote an adequate and stable supply of minerals to maintain our Nation's economic well-being, security, and manufacturing, industrial, energy, and technological capabilities.
(2) promote and encourage the development of economically sound and stable domestic mining, minerals, metals, and processing industries;
(3) establish an assessment capability for identifying the mineral demands, supply, and needs of our Nation; and
(4) minimize duplication, needless paperwork, and delays in the administration of Federal and State laws and regulations, and issuance of permits and authorizations necessary to explore, develop, and produce minerals and construct and operate mineral-related facilities.”
http://thomas.loc.gov/cgi-bin/query/z?c112:H.R.2011:
Dale,
It sounds to me like someone in government wants to recycle minerals found in electronics and other items that may be hazardous but contain valuable resources.
Currently we ship most of our electronics to China and India to recycle. If what you say is true, that these minerals are "mined exclusively in China were apparently the only viable sources are located", then recycling makes good sense.
Dale Whiting posted at 6:48 pm on Sat, Jun 11, 2011.
Accuracy,
So what does H.R. 2011 do?
Cerulean,
Apparently we have another problematic bill, H.R. 1904. Can any of you tell us what they do?
Cerulean posted at 2:08 pm on Sat, Jun 11, 2011.
Here we go again – LAND SWAPS for Oak Flat.
Title: HR 1904 Resolution Copper Land Swap Revived
Actually, it is called the: Southeast Land Exchange and Conservation Act of 2011
The purpose is “To facilitate the efficient extraction of mineral resources in southeast Arizona by authorizing and directing an exchange of Federal and non-federal land, and for other purposes.“
This bill would allow Resolution Copper (foreign-owned) to acquire Oak Flat (just above Superior) for an unspecified exchange of private land and a guaranteed cash payment to Rep. R-Gosar, Sen. McCain et al, for their efforts.
This new version of the land swap bill removes the “public determination” clause. (The public was strongly against the last Oak Flat land swap.) The new version does not require an Environmental Impact Statement. The new version removes a 95 acre parcel of Resolution Copper land and $1.25 million that was designated for improvements to that land.
In the past 40 years the only thing Resolution Copper has sustained are a migration of Mexicans from south of the boarder. Mining in Arizona, as always, is always a boom and bust business, depending on the price of copper ore. This bill is worse than the last land-swap for junk bill they proposed.
Call your Congressional representatives and ask that they vote against H R 1904.
Accuracy posted at 9:08 am on Sat, Jun 11, 2011.
Rare-earth magnets are strong permanent magnets made from alloys of rare earth elements. Since 95% percent of the world's supply comes from mines in China and with tightening restrictions on exports of the metals from China, searches for more sources of rare-earth are going on.
This year, Rare-earth mining company Molycorp announced its subsidiary, Molycorp Minerals, has acquired rare-earth mining company Santoku America — based in Tolleson, Ariz. — from Japanese firm Santoku Corporation.
Rare-earth used for: Rechargeable batteries for electric and hybrid cars, advanced ceramics, magnets for electric car motors, computers, DVD players, wind turbines, catalysts in cars and oil refineries, computer monitors, televisions, lighting, lasers, fiber optics, glass polishing, superconductors, and weapons.
As Jeffrey Fox wrote: "We can't abandon mining"
Dale Whiting posted at 5:13 am on Sat, Jun 11, 2011.
Jeff,
You claim that "H.R. 2011 eases our dependence on those foreign minerals and ensures jobs in the mining industry for decades to come." Care to explain how it does this?
This month's National Geographics reports on 17 rare earth minerals, all of which are vital to sustain our current dependence on high tech gagets. All 17 are mined exclusively in China were apparently the only viable sources are located. Does H.R. 2011 address this problem? Many of these 17 minerals are vital to our high tech national defense.