Urgent: Anti-environmental legislation to be voted on the week of June 18.
Anti-environmental legislation continues to be proposed from lawmakers in our nations capital. Last week we asked for your help in stopping the Sportsmens Heritage Act, legislation that would effectively repeal the Wilderness Act. This weeks scorched Earth legislation is HR 4402, the National Strategic and Critical Minerals Act of 2012.
The National Strategic and Critical Minerals Act of 2012 (NSCMA) covers all hardrock mining and would allow federal agencies to exempt projects from review under the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA). NEPA ensures that, in addition to government and industry input, the public can take part in the development and oversight of projects that impact a region. Under HR 4022 public input would end.
The NSCMA of 2012 would also eliminate any meaningful environmental review of proposed projects by capping the permitting process at 30-months. No matter how egregious the environmental impacts from a proposed project, the permitting must be concluded within that 30-month window.
The NSCMA of 2012 would allow regulators to exempt proposed projects from the Equal Access to Justice Act (EAJA). The EAJA is legislation that allows average Americans to protect their communities and families from pollution by using the services of non-profit environmental law firms. Under HR 4022 most non-profit law firms would not be able to continue to offer their services to those in need.
The Rock Creek Alliance has been able to protect Lake Pend Oreille and the Cabinet Mountains Wilderness from impacts related to the Rock Creek mine because of access to the non-profit law firms Earthjustice and The Western Mining Action Project. Passage of HR 4022 would make it extremely difficult for us to continue our work and the Lake and Wilderness would be at the mercy of the agencies and mining industry.
Please speak out in opposing HR 4022 by contacting your elected members in congress. The NSCMA is an attempt by congressional representatives to eliminate local opposition to projects by quieting the public and by making the defense of a regional environment cost prohibitive.
Protect your freedom; contact your representatives today!