Jeff Bingaman actually said...

Resolution Copper has always recognized that such a review under NEPA will be required prior to commercial mining.

a principal concern of H.R. 1904 that he 'flagged' is that 'it provides for a directed land exchange and does not allow for the analysis of ...

this land is effectively exempt from nearly all requirements of federal law and outside review and scrutiny.

Bowing to public opposition and budget constraints, Congress short-circuited the siting process.