Idaho Conservation League Responds to Trump Executive Order on Mineral Production
The administration’s all-out push for minerals will have significant negative consequences for our clean air, clean water, and treasured public lands.
Boise, ID — Yesterday, President Trump signed an executive order invoking emergency powers through the Defense Production Act and other authorities to boost domestic mining and mineral processing. The order, while pitched as a way to bolster mining and production of so-called “critical” minerals needed for national defense and/or energy production, also encompasses minerals with much less strategic importance, such as gold. The executive order calls for agencies to identify domestic mineral projects to be prioritized, whereupon those projects would benefit from streamlined permitting and enhanced financing. Under this order, the Department of Interior is also directed to prioritize mining on federal land over other uses.
In response to yesterday’s executive order, ICL’s Public Lands and Wildlife Director John Robison said:
Even before this executive order, the outdated Mining Law of 1872 has overwhelmingly favored the mining industry, prioritizing mining over all other land uses – including sources of water for municipal water supplies and agriculture. The Mining Law also gives away tremendous subsidies for domestic and foreign companies alike, allowing them to extract billions of dollars of valuable minerals from public lands without paying a federal royalty – unlike oil and gas companies. If we are really looking for ways to stop wasteful programs, we should reform the Mining Law of 1872.
This executive order further tilts the scales, granting yet another massive giveaway to wealthy mining corporations. These unchecked handouts put Idaho’s public lands, clean water, and public health at even greater risk of mining disturbance and contamination. ICL remains steadfast in our commitment to stopping mining projects in places that are too special to mine while ensuring that mining projects in less sensitive locations are held to the highest standards of environmental protection.
ICL plans to have a blog post on our website next week to dive into the full details and implications of this troubling executive order.