"Effective democratic governance depends upon informed public participation, and several international conventions and policy guidelines call for enhanced public participation in environmental management."
"Future exploration or mining activities at the site not only threatens the health and welfare of tribal members."
"Mining is considered the highest and best use of our public lands."
"To me, the people, the first people of this country, the Native Americans, we are second-class citizens still."
"This imbalance of power has resulted in over a century of ongoing toxic mines, scarring our landscape and poisoning our communities."
"This law would apply to all of our public lands, including national parks, wilderness areas, and BLM land."
"We stand at the edge of a whole new mining rush."
"My bill, the Clean Energy Mineral Reform Act, would do just that."
"The bill gives anyone the ability to stake a mining claim, whether there are valuable minerals on the land or not."
"You are hearing that correctly. Any American, or notably, any American subsidiary of a foreign company could have the exclusive rights to our public lands for about $10 per acre per year."
"The mining industry, however, sits above all of that."