I rise today to join many Americans across the country who would want to honor Kristina Kiehl, a founder and co-chair of Voters for Choice.

As a founder of Voters for Choice, a national bi-partisan organization dedicated to protecting and expanding reproductive choice for women, Kristina has been a pioneer in protecting the reproductive rights and health of women.

I am especially pleased and very proud to honor and recognize the accomplishments of Kristina Kiehl, a national leader who has dedicated her life to improving the health and protecting the reproductive rights of Americans.

For 18 years, Voters for Choice has been a superbly effective organization that has led the fight for many women's health issues, in no small part because of Kristina's commitment, dedication, energy and leadership.

With her leadership, Voters for Choice has helped to develop leaders across our country on choice issues; to educate Americans about reproductive issues; and to train advocates for this important work.

Today, I am introducing three bills, in addition to Rep. Nick Rahall's (D-WVA) comprehensive bill to reform the Mining Law of 1872.

These tailings are radioactive and contain high concentrations of ammonia, arsenic, lead, vanadium, selenium, mercury, molybdenum, nickel, and other toxic metals left by the leaching process used to separate uranium from ore.

The 106th Congress should impose a reasonable net smelter royalty on hard rock minerals extracted from public lands, dedicating the revenues to cleaning up abandoned mine sites, permanently extend the $100 rental fee, and close the…

The effort to update the 1872 law has enjoyed vigorous, bipartisan support in the House of Representatives for many years.

Over the past century, irresponsible and unwise mining operators have devastated over half a million acres of land--by acting without thought for the future or by simply walking away from played-out mines.

Over the past century, irresponsible and unwise mining operators have devastated over half a million acres of land--by acting without thought for the future or by simply walking away from played-out mines.

Sadly, the NRC has seems determined to perpetuate rather than resolve this dangerous situation in the case of the Atlas site.

Mr. Speaker, ten and a half million tons of toxic wastes generated by the now-defunct Atlas Mine are stored in a tailings pond located immediately adjacent to the Colorado River near Moab, Utah.

Now is the time to act.

ten and a half million tons of toxic wastes generated by the now-defunct Atlas Mine are stored in a tailings pond located immediately adjacent to the Colorado River near Moab, Utah.

Leaving a huge, leaking tailings pile adjacent to the Colorado River does not make sense.

Mining reform is long overdue.

The only mining law reform bill Congress has sent to the President in recent years was part of the fiscal year 1995 budget reconciliation bill that President Clinton properly vetoed in December 1995.