Steven Holt: “This legislation is fundamentally a solution in search of a problem. Now, according to analysis of data provided by the…”

“This legislation is fundamentally a solution in search of a problem. Now, according to analysis of data provided by the Bureau of Land Management for hardrock mines on public lands, for which there is complete data, the average time it takes to approve a plan of operation for a mine has actually decreased under the Obama administration. We do not need a relaxation of regulations in order to speed things up. According to the BLM data, plans of operation for hardrock mines are being approved roughly 17 percent more quickly under the Obama administration than under the previous administration. Thank you, President Obama. And despite the majority's claims, 82 percent of plans of operation for hardrock mines are approved within 3 years under the Obama administration. Now, the mining company will say, oh, 3 years, that's so long. Well, according to the BLM ``it takes, on average, 4 years to approve a mining plan of operation for a large mine, more than 1,000 acres on public lands.'' Now, my colleagues on the other side have asked repeatedly what the problem is with their legislation that would truncate and eviscerate proper review of all mines on public lands if the majority of plans are approved within 3 years. Well, it's because a little more than 15 percent of hardrock mines take more than 4 years to approve.…”