Bills on Landslide Preparedness and Overturning Limits on Mining

House Natural Resources Committee
   Energy and Mineral Resources Subcommittee
1324 Longworth

31/01/2024 at 02:00PM

On Wednesday, January 31, 2024, at 2:00 p.m., in room 1324 Longworth House Office Building, the Committee on Natural Resources, Subcommittee on Energy and Mineral Resources will hold a legislative hearing on the following bills:

  • H.R. 2925 (Rep. Amodei), “Mining Regulatory Clarity Act of 2023”, to overturn the Ninth Circuit’s Rosemont decision protecting sacred sites from mine waste, allowing mine operations to use, occupy, and conduct operations (including construction of roads and other mining infrastructure activity) on public land regardless of whether a mineral deposit has been discovered on the land so long as the claimant makes timely payments of required claims maintenance fees;
  • H.R. 6862 (Rep. Lamborn (R-Colo.)), To amend the FAST Act to include all mineral mining activities as a covered project granted fast-track approval, overturning the Biden administration’s rule which limits it to critical minerals;
  • H.R. 7003 (Rep. DelBene), “National Landslide Preparedness Act Reauthorization Act of 2024”; and
  • H.R. ­­­7004 (Rep. Curtis), To amend the Mineral Leasing Act to amend references of gilsonite to asphaltite.

Witnesses:

  • Dr. Steven Feldgus, Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary for Land and Minerals Management, Department of the Interior [H.R. 2925, H.R. 6862, H.R. 7003, and H.R. 7004]
  • Craig Mueller, President & CEO, American Gilsonite Company [H.R. 7004]
  • Rich Haddock, Senior Advisor, Barrick Gold, Bountiful, UT [H.R. 2925 and H.R. 6862]
  • Dr. John Metesh, President, Association of American State Geologists [H.R. 7003]
  • Jeffrey Stiffarm, President, Fort Belknap Indian Community, Harlem, MT [Minority Witness; H.R. 2925 and H.R. 6862] Hearing memo.