Wampum

Some exceptionally important information for every American:

The mineral mining industry, also an important force in Arizona, Utah and other largely Western states, has benefited from a law that has not changed with the times. Unlike with coal, oil or gas, the industry doesn't pay federal royalties on minerals it extracts. There are few environmental protections or reviews. The law allows public lands to be sold cheaply for mining, though Congress has annually imposed a moratorium on that.

Rahall would impose a series of environmental requirements, give more power to federal land managers to deny mining applications, and impose an 8 percent royalty fee that would go into a fund to clean up abandoned mine sites, among other changes.

Source: NYTimes.

These minerals are on, or under, federal and Indian land, and yet the hardrock mining industries get to mine them for free? WTF? American taxpayers should be up in arms over this, especially as most metals have seen immense increases in value in the past few years.

Reid should be rung over the coals if he continues to balk on royalties.