Submitted by Fox First at Ten on December 12th
By By The Associated Press
ROYALTY REVIEW: Congressional auditors say the government reaps billions in royalties each year from fossil fuels extracted from federal lands and waters, but gets none from gold, uranium or other metals mined from those places.
PAY DIRT: Two Democratic lawmakers want to reform the General Mining Act of 1872, which exempted mining companies from paying royalties for profiting from public lands. It was intended to encourage people to settle in the West.
MINE WHINE: The mining industry, which has fought to kill similar reform bills, said it already pays billions in taxes involving mines located on state and private lands.
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