Title: [GreenYes] Most important recycling legislation in 135 years!! Congress Votes on General Mining Act of 1872
I have often said landfills are not recycling's competitors. They are
potential clients. Whether we collect, waste paper, scrap computers,
steel cans, iron, or glass, we sell in competition against virgin
materials, period. In the USA, the price of mining and forestry has
been defined by two pieces of legislation - Superfund (which is
enforced against secondary smelters but not against mines) and the GMA
of 1872.
The General Mining Act was signed by Ulysess Grant during the Apache
Indian Wars to spur development of federal lands in the west. It
offers mining and timber companies a lease of $5 per acre. All the
minerals and royalties belong to the mining company, the mine tailings
and waste remain the property of the taxpayer. The $5 remains the
price today.
Finally our friends at EarthworksAction.org and others have gotten
movement on the issue, and Congress will be debating this raw material
subsidy this week.
See USA Today Article from Monday Oct 1
http://www.usatoday.com/news/washington/2007-09-30-mining_N.htm
Robin Ingenthron www.retroworks.com
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