The Debate Over A Century Old Law

Essay, Research Paper

English 201 The Argument Over a Century Old Law Thesis: The confrontation in the West between the U.S. Government and the hardrock excavation industry, over a one hundred and twenty five twelvemonth old jurisprudence, is disposed to go forth all parties involved, including the environment, experiencing the inauspicious effects of their indecision. I. The U.S. Government needs to reform this out-of-date law.A. The West has changed in the past one hundred years.B. Environmental issues are now different.C. Fair reimbursement for lands and minerals must be established.II. The excavation industry claims it can non last with reformation.A. Proposed alterations would do mineworkers to lose jobs.B. Mining & # 8220 ; execs & # 8221 ; claim they already pay their just share.C. Royalty payments are said to be excessive.III. Can a new presidential disposal decide this issue? A. President Clinton names Bruce Babbitt Secretary of the Interior.B. Can the president hold house on his election promises to the conservationists? IV. The excavation industry has no defence for its pollution of the environment.A. The extortionate cost of mine killing is passed on to the federal governmentB. Abandoned mines continue to pollute.C. The demand to implement royalty fees and hard currency bonds to guarantee future clean up.V. Compromise is needed from both sides The Debate Over a Century Old Law The General Mining Law of 1872, like the Homestead Act of 1862, was put into consequence to promote migration and development of the western part of the United States, under the presidential term of Ulysses S. Grant. At the same clip, Congress was besides offering public lands for the pickings, to enterprising stock raisers and lumbermans. The excavation jurisprudence provides every American the right to interest one or more claims-up to one hundred 60 acres-on federal lands. If the claimant can convert the authorities that he has a & # 8220 ; find & # 8221 ; , of a & # 8220 ; hardrock & # 8221 ; mineral, that would warrant a & # 8220 ; prudent adult male & # 8221 ; make up one’s minding to mine the claim, he can work the land and live on it rent-free without paying a penny in royalties to the federal authorities ( Barol, Zuckerman ) . By contrast, the oil, gas, and coal excavation industries pay up to twelve and one half per centum of their gross grosss to mine federally owned lands ( Begley, Glick 66 ) . This jurisprudence besides gives the claim holder than right to & # 8220 ; patent & # 8221 ; the claim. By purchasing patent to a hardrock excavation claim, the mineworker or mineworkers are basically buying federally owned public lands off from the U.S. Government, including land in the U.S. National Forests. The monetary value they pay for the land in inquiry depends upon what type of claim they have filed for. A claim where the mineral is imbedded in ore, as in a gold vena, is called a & # 8220 ; lode & # 8221 ; claim. The fee per acre to patent a load claim is, and has been for the past 125 old ages, two dollars and 50 cents an acre. The other type of claim involves minerals that have already been detached from the ore. These claims are called & # 8220 ; placer & # 8221 ; claims. These placer claims made up the bulk of the claims filed, in the beginnings of the California gold haste, in the mid-eighteen 100s. The monetary value per acre for these lands today is the same as it was over a hundred old ages ago, merely five dollars an acre. ( Satchell 12 ) . Now, one hundred and twenty five old ages subsequently, a alteration is on the skyline, much to the discouragement of the hardrock excavation corporations. The western district of the United States no longer needs inducements such as the Homestead Act and the General Mining Law to advance enlargement. The economic system, conditions, and general life style have taken attention of this really nicely. Stewart Udall, after vacating as Secretary of the Interior in 1969, stated in a missive that & # 8220 ; After eight old ages in this office, I have come to the decision that the most of import piece of unfinished concern on the state & # 8217 ; s resource docket is the complete replacing of the excavation jurisprudence of 1872 & # 8243 ; ( Hocker 25 ) . This jurisprudence has remained in consequence mostly due to powerful lobbying by the excavation industry and the general public & # 8217 ; s deficiency of consciousness ( Arrandale 531 ) . The environment is playing an ever-increasing function in this argument. Present Secretary of the Interior, Bruce Babbitt, has referred to the 1872 excavation jurisprudence as & # 8220 ; the one federal resource jurisprudence where the unrestrained, giveaway, environment-be-damned attitudes of the 19th century have persisted & # 8221 ; ( Arrandale 533 ) . This has even led to individual individual operations ( many that are recreational hobbyists ) that are run much in the same manner they were over one hundred old ages ago, with pickaxe and shovel, to come under scrutiny because of the actions of the big excavation corporations and their maltreatment of the environment. Some of these little clip operations have gained an unexpected ally in the face of corporate excavation & # 8217 ; s maltreatments to the environment. Local conservationists in the Klamath River part of Northern California depend on these remotely located diehards. These mineworkers are the watchdogs of the national woods when it comes to describing offenses by excavation and logging companies ( Barol, Zuckerman 62 ) . Just Last twelvemonth conservationists narrowly prevailed in halting a Canadian house from opening a immense gold and Cu mine merely three stat mis from Yellowstone National Park. Logical, distinct determination, right? Guess once more. The White House Council on Environmental Quality brokered ( bribed ) a trade with the Canadian developer in which they will have federally owned land elsewhere, worth over $ 65 million, in return for giving up the excavation rights near Yellowstone ( Satchell 12 ) . Large excavation corporations have taken advantage of inexpensive land and a deficiency of rental or royalty payments to the federal authorities. Harmonizing to the General Accounting Office, at least $ 1.2 billion in hardrock minerals are extracted from public lands every twelvemonth with perfectly no royalties returned to the populace ( Begley 22 ) . In 1989 the General Accounting Office was asked to look into excavation jurisprudence maltreatments. They indiscriminately investigated 20 instances and found the authorities had been paid merely four thousand five hundred dollars for land that had a mineral worth of between $ 14 million and $ 48 million. Opportunists to this twenty-four hours go on to interest claims and resell them at a immense net income to excavation corporations, lodging developers, and any other interested party with available financess ( Hocker 25 ) . In 1920 the Mineral Leasing Act was passed. This act allows the authorities to roll up royalties of 12 and one-half per centum of gross grosss on coal, oil, and natural gas produced from public lands. Unfortunately, hardrock minerals such as gold, Ag, Cu, and U are non covered by this leasing system ( Arrandale 533 ) . This has led to the authorship of to reform measures, one by the House, and one by the Senate. In general, these measures hope to enforce royalties, make off with the patent system in order to maintain excavation lands in federal ownership, and reexamine public lands for their suitableness to excavation and the possible environmental impact that would ensue from such excavation. Could all these reforms lead to the death of the excavation industry? Or are the excavation & # 8220 ; execs & # 8221 ; merely seeking to maintain a good thing traveling? In Nevada, the excavation industry claims that the execution of harsh reforms could do half the mineworkers in that province to lose their occupations. Break-even operations could be earnestly affected by royalty payments and the abolition of patents, but by far the biggest cause for the loss of employment in the excavation industry, in the industry itself. The advancement made in the extraction of minerals from ore, a one time arduous undertaking, has now become more efficient, therefore necessitating fewer employees. Arizona, in 1980, had twenty three thousand Cu mineworkers. That figure has dropped to eleven thousand in twelve old ages, while at the same clip the cost to bring forth a individual lb of Cu has dropped from $ 1.10 to 60 cents ( Hocker 26 ) . Mining executives deny that they are taking advantage of the system. John A. Knebel, president of the industry & # 8217 ; s trade group, the American Mining Congress, states & # 8220 ; Contrary to popular belief, our industry pays for the right to mind on federal lands & # 8221 ; through federal revenue enhancements on companies & # 8217 ; net incomes and on the incomes of the miners. He farther states & # 8220 ; We besides pay production revenue enhancements [ and other revenue enhancements to the province ] which are used to assist finance main roads, infirmaries, and schools & # 8221 ; ( Arrandale 534 ) . Toronto based American Barrick Resources provides over 17 hundred high pay occupations in the metropolis of Elko Nevada, ( where they late took rubric to about two 1000 estates of excavation land ) they have besides provided contributions for schools and sewer lines in the country. Jack Gerard of the Minerals Resource Alliance points out the seldom-mentioned investings, such as new hi-tech equipment, lodging, and schools if the mine is in a distant country, made by mining corporations before of all time pull outing a individual ounce of gold or Ag, non to advert the 1000000s of revenue enhancement dollars and 1000s of occupations generated ( Begley, Glick 67 ) . The royalties entirely are greatly feared that the excavation industry. John Knebel one time once more comes to their defence, mentioning the possible death of the industry if such rigorous measures come to go through. Philip M. Hocker Reports in the Economist that & # 8220 ; this is bunkum, despite the recession, hardrock excavation is booming, and gold production in 1991 was ten times what it was in the twelvemonth 1980 & # 8243 ; ( 25 ) . One of the measures that is in the House, is referred to by Keith Knoblock of the American Mining Congress as & # 8220 ; a no excavation measure & # 8221 ; . This House measure calls for an eight- per centum royalty on the gross ( before revenue enhancements, stuff disbursals, and rewards ) gross of the excavation companies. This measure would get rid of the patent system and besides put into consequence a authorities review of public lands suited for excavation ( Begley, Glick 67 ) . An industry survey by Cooper and Brand, a national accounting house, has come to the decision that the House program would extinguish over 40 thousand excavation occupations and slash mineral production by about six billion dollars annually ( Arrandale 535 ) . Mining executives warn that his program could do the industry to shut many domestic excavation sites and prosecute new mineral rights overseas ( 534 ) . With the entryway of the Clinton disposal came promises to be kept, but non without grants. With support of environmental groups in his election command, President Clinton needed to move on some debatable land issues confronting the federal authorities. With this in head he proceeded to name former Arizona governor and president of the League of Conservation electors, Bruce Babbitt, as the new Secretary of the Interior ( Arrandale 543 ) . President Clinton & # 8217 ; s first budget, encouraging conservationists, proposed to raise one billion dollars over five old ages by establishing a 12.5 per centum royalty on difficult stone excavation. Larry E. Craig, R-Idaho, and other regional province politicians warned that any such trade that led to the loss of mining occupations in the western provinces would be met with a filibuster. Finally, the president backed down ; for fright that the budget would do them to lose political support in the part ( Camia 2786 ) . The environment may really good be the biggest also-ran in this power battle. Tom Arrandale provinces in the CQ Researcher that & # 8220 ; The Mineral Policy Center estimates that more than five 100 1000 abandoned mines, most in the West, are making pollution jobs in 30 two provinces. Fifty-six of these mines have been declared Federal Superfund clean-up sites ( 534 ) . This has caused many conservationists to knock the authorities on its deficiency of ordinances that allows a excavation company to pick up and go forth a mine when the minerals have played out, cognizing that the authorities will be just to pick up the check for the inevitable killing. The cost of covering with the more than 50 sites on the Superfund list is estimated to be every bit much as 40 to fifty billion dollars. Every twelvemonth the excavation industry generates two billion dozenss of solid waste, twice every bit much as that turned out by all the metropoliss and industries combined in this state. Heavy metals, acid and other toxins from abandoned mines pollute one hundred 80 thousand estates of reservoirs and lakes and twelve thousand stat mis of watercourses and rivers ( Boyle 52 ) . One of the worst illustrations is the Clark Fork River Basin in Western Montana. This now abandoned excavation and smelting operation has left big pools loaded with arsenic, Cu, lead, Zn, Cd, and silver. Rivers that passed through the Clark fork country. show marks of this taint at 10 times the normal degree, two hundred and 40 stat mis downriver. Cyanide is one of the major jobs confronting federal killing crews, as it is used in the leaching procedure of most modern gold operations. A 46 acre pool with a cyanide/water mixture in Southern Colorado & # 8217 ; s Summittvile Consolidated Mining Company & # 8217 ; s gold mine was leaking at over one 100 gallons a minute. Killing aquatic life at least 17 stat mis downriver before a one hundred thousand dollar mulct was levied and intervention of the H2O began ( Hocker 26 ) . Finally the company went insolvent and the federal authorities took over the 40 thousand-dollar a twenty-four hours clean up ( Begley, Glick 67 ) . Posting hard currency bonds ( an up-front security sedimentation to cover the possible clean up of the excavation site ) along with royalties to guarantee environmental clean up of excavation sites is necessary to assist decelerate environmental harm, even at the disbursal of some marginally profitable operations holding to travel out of concern. While most of the larger excavation corporations will be able to absorb the added outgo of the bonds and royalties, it is break-even operations that may be put out of concern. A individual individual concern or recreational prospector could barely afford to post a six thousand-dollar to 25 thousand-dollar hard currency bond to maintain alive a weekend avocation ( Barol, Zuckerman ) . Both the federal authorities and the excavation industry will necessitate to compromise if they are of all time to come to an understanding on this issue. Yet, the federal authorities demands to maintain the upper manus on this issue, because if they don & # 8217 ; t, the excavation industry will go on in its irresponsible ways, and what is left of our environment today will be well less for the coevalss of tomorrow. As for the excavation industry, they need to wake up and smell the toxins, acquire a expression at the large image alternatively of merely their net income borders, and take duty for their actions while running their industry with a new set of moralss.

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Arrandale, Tom. & # 8220 ; Public Land Policy. & # 8221 ; CQ Researcher 17 June. 1994: 529-549

Barol, Bill. , and Zuckerman, Seth. & # 8220 ; The Miners VS. the Feds. & # 8221 ; N

ewsweek 28 March. 1988: 62 Begley, Sharon. “Is This What U.S.Grant Had in Mind? ” US News and World Report 18 Sept. 1995: 22 Begley, Sharon. , and Glick, Daniel. “The Last Great Giveaway.” Newsweek 30 May. 1994: 66-67 Boyle, Robert H. “This Land is Mine Land.” Outdoor Life Aug. 1994: 529-549 Camia, Catalina. “Senators, Conceding Defeat, Drop Mining Law Rewrite.” Congressional Quarterly Weekly Report 1 Oct. 1994: 2785-2786 Hocker, Philip M. “A Pickaxe Too Far.” Economist 25 April. 1992: 25-26 Satchell, Michael. “To the Rescue at Yellowstone.” US News and World Report 26 Aug. 1997: 12 English 201 The Argument Over a Century Old Law Thesis: The confrontation in the West between the U.S. Government and the hardrock excavation industry, over a one hundred and twenty five twelvemonth old jurisprudence, is disposed to go forth all parties involved, including the environment, experiencing the inauspicious effects of their indecision. I. The U.S. Government needs to reform this out-of-date law.A. The West has changed in the past one hundred years.B. Environmental issues are now different.C. Fair reimbursement for lands and minerals must be established.II. The excavation industry claims it can non last with reformation.A. Proposed alterations would do mineworkers to lose jobs.B. Mining “execs” claim they already pay their just share.C. Royalty payments are said to be excessive.III. Can a new presidential disposal decide this issue? A. President Clinton names Bruce Babbitt Secretary of the Interior.B. Can the president hold house on his election promises to the conservationists? IV. The excavation industry has no defence for its pollution of the environment.A. The extortionate cost of mine killing is passed on to the federal governmentB. Abandoned mines continue to pollute.C. The demand to implement royalty fees and hard currency bonds to guarantee future clean up.V. Compromise is needed from both sides The Debate Over a Century Old Law The General Mining Law of 1872, like the Homestead Act of 1862, was put into consequence to promote migration and development of the western part of the United States, under the presidential term of Ulysses S. Grant. At the same clip, Congress was besides offering public lands for the pickings, to enterprising stock raisers and lumbermans. The excavation jurisprudence provides every American the right to interest one or more claims-up to one hundred 60 acres-on federal lands. If the claimant can convert the authorities that he has a “discovery” , of a “hardrock” mineral, that would warrant a “prudent man” make up one’s minding to mine the claim, he can work the land and live on it rent-free without paying a penny in royalties to the federal authorities ( Barol, Zuckerman ) . By contrast, the oil, gas, and coal excavation industries pay up to twelve and one half per centum of their gross grosss to mine federally owned lands ( Begley, Glick 66 ) . This jurisprudence besides gives the claim holder than right to “patent” the claim. By purchasing patent to a hardrock excavation claim, the mineworker or mineworkers are basically buying federally owned public lands off from the U.S. Government, including land in the U.S. National Forests. The monetary value they pay for the land in inquiry depends upon what type of claim they have filed for. A claim where the mineral is imbedded in ore, as in a gold vena, is called a “lode” claim. The fee per acre to patent a load claim is, and has been for the past 125 old ages, two dollars and 50 cents an acre. The other type of claim involves minerals that have already been detached from the ore. These claims are called “placer” claims. These placer claims made up the bulk of the claims filed, in the beginnings of the California gold haste, in the mid-eighteen 100s. The monetary value per acre for these lands today is the same as it was over a hundred old ages ago, merely five dollars an acre. ( Satchell 12 ) . Now, one hundred and twenty five old ages subsequently, a alteration is on the skyline, much to the discouragement of the hardrock excavation corporations. The western district of the United States no longer needs inducements such as the Homestead Act and the General Mining Law to advance enlargement. The economic system, conditions, and general life style have taken attention of this really nicely. Stewart Udall, after vacating as Secretary of the Interior in 1969, stated in a missive that “After eight old ages in this office, I have come to the decision that the most of import piece of unfinished concern on the nation’s resource docket is the complete replacing of the excavation jurisprudence of 1872? ( Hocker 25 ) . This jurisprudence has remained in consequence mostly due to powerful lobbying by the excavation industry and the general public’s deficiency of consciousness ( Arrandale 531 ) . The environment is playing an ever-increasing function in this argument. Present Secretary of the Interior, Bruce Babbitt, has referred to the 1872 excavation jurisprudence as “the one federal resource jurisprudence where the unrestrained, giveaway, environment-be-damned attitudes of the 19th century have persisted” ( Arrandale 533 ) . This has even led to individual individual operations ( many that are recreational hobbyists ) that are run much in the same manner they were over one hundred old ages ago, with pickaxe and shovel, to come under scrutiny because of the actions of the big excavation corporations and their maltreatment of the environment. Some of these little clip operations have gained an unexpected ally in the face of corporate mining’s abuses to the environment. Local conservationists in the Klamath River part of Northern California depend on these remotely located diehards. These mineworkers are the watchdogs of the national woods when it comes to describing offenses by excavation and logging companies ( Barol, Zuckerman 62 ) . Just Last twelvemonth conservationists narrowly prevailed in halting a Canadian house from opening a immense gold and Cu mine merely three stat mis from Yellowstone National Park. Logical, distinct determination, right? Guess once more. The White House Council on Environmental Quality brokered ( bribed ) a trade with the Canadian developer in which they will have federally owned land elsewhere, worth over $ 65 million, in return for giving up the excavation rights near Yellowstone ( Satchell 12 ) . Large excavation corporations have taken advantage of inexpensive land and a deficiency of rental or royalty payments to the federal authorities. Harmonizing to the General Accounting Office, at least $ 1.2 billion in hardrock minerals are extracted from public lands every twelvemonth with perfectly no royalties returned to the populace ( Begley 22 ) . In 1989 the General Accounting Office was asked to look into excavation jurisprudence maltreatments. They indiscriminately investigated 20 instances and found the authorities had been paid merely four thousand five hundred dollars for land that had a mineral worth of between $ 14 million and $ 48 million. Opportunists to this twenty-four hours go on to interest claims and resell them at a immense net income to excavation corporations, lodging developers, and any other interested party with available financess ( Hocker 25 ) . In 1920 the Mineral Leasing Act was passed. This act allows the authorities to roll up royalties of 12 and one-half per centum of gross grosss on coal, oil, and natural gas produced from public lands. Unfortunately, hardrock minerals such as gold, Ag, Cu, and U are non covered by this leasing system ( Arrandale 533 ) . This has led to the authorship of to reform measures, one by the House, and one by the Senate. In general, these measures hope to enforce royalties, make off with the patent system in order to maintain excavation lands in federal ownership, and reexamine public lands for their suitableness to excavation and the possible environmental impact that would ensue from such excavation. Could all these reforms lead to the death of the excavation industry? Or are the excavation “execs” merely seeking to maintain a good thing traveling? In Nevada, the excavation industry claims that the execution of harsh reforms could do half the mineworkers in that province to lose their occupations. Break-even operations could be earnestly affected by royalty payments and the abolition of patents, but by far the biggest cause for the loss of employment in the excavation industry, in the industry itself. The advancement made in the extraction of minerals from ore, a one time arduous undertaking, has now become more efficient, therefore necessitating fewer employees. Arizona, in 1980, had twenty three thousand Cu mineworkers. That figure has dropped to eleven thousand in twelve old ages, while at the same clip the cost to bring forth a individual lb of Cu has dropped from $ 1.10 to 60 cents ( Hocker 26 ) . Mining executives deny that they are taking advantage of the system. John A. Knebel, president of the industry’s trade group, the American Mining Congress, states “Contrary to popular belief, our industry pays for the right to mind on federal lands” through federal revenue enhancements on companies’ net incomes and on the incomes of the miners. He farther states “We besides pay production revenue enhancements [ and other revenue enhancements to the province ] which are used to assist finance main roads, infirmaries, and schools” ( Arrandale 534 ) . Toronto based American Barrick Resources provides over 17 hundred high pay occupations in the metropolis of Elko Nevada, ( where they late took rubric to about two 1000 estates of excavation land ) they have besides provided contributions for schools and sewer lines in the country. Jack Gerard of the Minerals Resource Alliance points out the seldom-mentioned investings, such as new hi-tech equipment, lodging, and schools if the mine is in a distant country, made by mining corporations before of all time pull outing a individual ounce of gold or Ag, non to advert the 1000000s of revenue enhancement dollars and 1000s of occupations generated ( Begley, Glick 67 ) . The royalties entirely are greatly feared that the excavation industry. John Knebel one time once more comes to their defence, mentioning the possible death of the industry if such rigorous measures come to go through. Philip M. Hocker Reports in the Economist that “this is bunkum, despite the recession, hardrock excavation is booming, and gold production in 1991 was ten times what it was in the twelvemonth 1980? ( 25 ) . One of the measures that is in the House, is referred to by Keith Knoblock of the American Mining Congress as “a no excavation bill” . This House measure calls for an eight- per centum royalty on the gross ( before revenue enhancements, stuff disbursals, and rewards ) gross of the excavation companies. This measure would get rid of the patent system and besides put into consequence a authorities review of public lands suited for excavation ( Begley, Glick 67 ) . An industry survey by Cooper and Brand, a national accounting house, has come to the decision that the House program would extinguish over 40 thousand excavation occupations and slash mineral production by about six billion dollars annually ( Arrandale 535 ) . Mining executives warn that his program could do the industry to shut many domestic excavation sites and prosecute new mineral rights overseas ( 534 ) . With the entryway of the Clinton disposal came promises to be kept, but non without grants. With support of environmental groups in his election command, President Clinton needed to move on some debatable land issues confronting the federal authorities. With this in head he proceeded to name former Arizona governor and president of the League of Conservation electors, Bruce Babbitt, as the new Secretary of the Interior ( Arrandale 543 ) . President Clinton’s first budget, encouraging conservationists, proposed to raise one billion dollars over five old ages by establishing a 12.5 per centum royalty on difficult stone excavation. Larry E. Craig, R-Idaho, and other regional province politicians warned that any such trade that led to the loss of mining occupations in the western provinces would be met with a filibuster. Finally, the president backed down ; for fright that the budget would do them to lose political support in the part ( Camia 2786 ) . The environment may really good be the biggest also-ran in this power battle. Tom Arrandale provinces in the CQ Researcher that “The Mineral Policy Center estimates that more than five 100 1000 abandoned mines, most in the West, are making pollution jobs in 30 two provinces. Fifty-six of these mines have been declared Federal Superfund clean-up sites ( 534 ) . This has caused many conservationists to knock the authorities on its deficiency of ordinances that allows a excavation company to pick up and go forth a mine when the minerals have played out, cognizing that the authorities will be just to pick up the check for the inevitable killing. The cost of covering with the more than 50 sites on the Superfund list is estimated to be every bit much as 40 to fifty billion dollars. Every twelvemonth the excavation industry generates two billion dozenss of solid waste, twice every bit much as that turned out by all the metropoliss and industries combined in this state. Heavy metals, acid and other toxins from abandoned mines pollute one hundred 80 thousand estates of reservoirs and lakes and twelve thousand stat mis of watercourses and rivers ( Boyle 52 ) . One of the worst illustrations is the Clark Fork River Basin in Western Montana. This now abandoned excavation and smelting operation has left big pools loaded with arsenic, Cu, lead, Zn, Cd, and silver. Rivers that passed through the Clark fork country. show marks of this taint at 10 times the normal degree, two hundred and 40 stat mis downriver. Cyanide is one of the major jobs confronting federal killing crews, as it is used in the leaching procedure of most modern gold operations. A 46 acre pool with a cyanide/water mixture in Southern Colorado’s Summittvile Consolidated Mining Company’s gold mine was leaking at over one 100 gallons a minute. Killing aquatic life at least 17 stat mis downriver before a one hundred thousand dollar mulct was levied and intervention of the H2O began ( Hocker 26 ) . Finally the company went insolvent and the federal authorities took over the 40 thousand-dollar a twenty-four hours clean up ( Begley, Glick 67 ) . Posting hard currency bonds ( an up-front security sedimentation to cover the possible clean up of the excavation site ) along with royalties to guarantee environmental clean up of excavation sites is necessary to assist decelerate environmental harm, even at the disbursal of some marginally profitable operations holding to travel out of concern. While most of the larger excavation corporations will be able to absorb the added outgo of the bonds and royalties, it is break-even operations that may be put out of concern. A individual individual concern or recreational prospector could barely afford to post a six thousand-dollar to 25 thousand-dollar hard currency bond to maintain alive a weekend avocation ( Barol, Zuckerman ) . Both the federal authorities and the excavation industry will necessitate to compromise if they are of all time to come to an understanding on this issue. Yet, the federal authorities demands to maintain the upper manus on this issue, because if they don’t, the excavation in

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