Mark Udall: “The benefits, as they are now established, will simply be unaffordable to go on into the future.”

What happened at the Gold King Mine is part of a much, much bigger problem.

The royalties paid by coal companies--and energy development of all kinds on federal lands--provide critical support for local schools, roads and other services that Colorado families count on.

The 1872 mining law continues to allow mining corporations to take hard rock minerals from public lands without paying any royalties.

EPA has accepted responsibility here also.