Bill Text: AZ SM1002 | 2020 | Fifty-fourth Legislature 2nd Regular | Introduced

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Bill Title: Urging Congress; hardrock leasing; miners

Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 8-0)

Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2020-05-08 - Assigned to Senate RULES Committee [SM1002 Detail]

Download: Arizona-2020-SM1002-Introduced.html

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REFERENCE TITLE: urging Congress; hardrock leasing; miners

 

 

 

 

State of Arizona

Senate

Fifty-fourth Legislature

Second Regular Session

2020

 

 

 

SM 1002

 

Introduced by

Senators Dalessandro: Alston, Bradley, Gonzales, Mendez, Peshlakai, Quezada, Steele

 

 

A MEMORIAL

 

urging the united states congress to pass the hardrock leasing and reclamation act of 2019 and the health benefits for miners act of 2019.

 

 

(TEXT OF BILL BEGINS ON NEXT PAGE)

 

To the Congress of the United States of America:

Your memorialist respectfully represents:

Whereas, mining has been a significant part of Arizona's economy since preterritorial times, leaving behind a legacy of polluted headwaters and abandoned mines; and

Whereas, Arizona continues to lead the nation in mining exports, providing sixty-eight percent of domestic copper production in the United States in 2017; and

Whereas, America's mining laws have remained relatively untouched since they were enacted in 1872 under President Ulysses S. Grant; and

Whereas, antiquated mining laws put public lands at risk of environmental and ecological damage and fail to hold mining companies accountable; and

Whereas, mining companies have left the public with billions of dollars in cleanup costs at abandoned hardrock mines; and

Whereas, abandoned hardrock mines have polluted forty percent of the headwaters of western watersheds; and

Whereas, it can take centuries to clean up toxic mine pollution.

Wherefore your memorialist, the Senate of the State of Arizona, prays:

1.  That the United States Congress pass the Hardrock Leasing and Reclamation Act of 2019 and the Health Benefits for Miners Act of 2019 to protect miners and Arizona's public lands.

2.  That the Secretary of State of the State of Arizona transmit copies of this Memorial to the President of the United States Senate, the Speaker of the United States House of Representatives and each Member of Congress from the State of Arizona.