X-Post: Obama: New mining bill too tough on companies

From Robb's thread in LBN...

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The recent mining reform billed passed by the U.S. House is "not optimal" and should be rewritten to reduce the economic burden on mining companies, U.S. Sen. Barack Obama said Tuesday.

During a conference call with Nevada reporters to present his rural agenda, Obama said he would seek a better compromise on the bill now that it is in the U.S. Senate.

"What's clear to me is that the legislation that has been proposed places a significant burden on the mining industry and could have a significant impact on jobs," he said. "We are going to have to keep on working to find the kind of legislation that is going to provide fair compensation for these federal lands and also enhances environmental protection (and) cleans up abandoned mines."

(snip)

"The question is what impact would these changes in law have on the mining operations specifically in Nevada and other rural areas in the West," he said. "My concern is not with respect to the overall corporate profits of these mining interests.
"My assumption is that they are making money, and they can afford to do more around conservation, and they can afford to pay a reasonable compensation to the federal government."

Read more: http://news.rgj.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20071107/NEWS19/711070420

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The bill still gives TOO much to companies - it should be strengthened, not weakened.

""My concern is not with respect to the overall corporate profits of these mining interests.
"My assumption is that they are making money, and they can afford to do more around conservation, and they can afford to pay a reasonable compensation to the federal government."

From your link.

the mining companies, who have consistently raked in the dough at the expense of the miners doing all the work and at great personal risk, since the companies refuse to spend money on required safety, is out of order. Why should the corps reap outrageous profits while the workers are lucky not to die, while barely scraping by? And on public land! Hey, that's our land! Stop raping it. Ditto ranchers, paying pennies to graze public land while killing off the wolves and other important members of Nature's alliance with the Earth.

a reasonable compensation is?