Illustration: Tiffany Herring/Axios
One architect of the Good Samaritan mine cleanup bill thinks it may set the stage for overhauling the 1872 hardrock mining law.
Why it matters: Democrats have been trying for decades to overhaul the ancient law, which lets hardrock miners operate on federal lands without a royalty.
- But the rare compromise between industry and conservationists on Good Sam could clear a path down the road for that broader conversation.
Driving the news: Trout Unlimited CEO Chris Wood said the rare compromise between conservationists and industry on Good Sam could set up a discussion about royalties.
- "My hope is that through the course of the next seven years and the relationships that we've developed … we can have a logical conversation about 'Well, maybe there should be a reasonable royalty,'" he told Axios.
- That could also come up in the broader discussion about minerals policy in the next Congress, with lawmakers on both sides of the aisle looking for ways to boost domestic and friendly supplies of the raw materials needed for renewables and batteries.
Yes, but: Hardrock mining reform efforts have lived and died many times on the Hill — and compromise doesn't look imminent in the near term.
