For Immediate Release
December 12, 2012
Contact: Trey Pollard, Sierra Club, (202) 495-3058
Sierra Club Statement on GAO Oil and
Mining Report Findings
(Washington,
DC) – This morning, the Government Accountability Office (GAO) released a new
report – requested by Congressman Raul Grijalva (D-AZ) and Senator Tom Udall
(D-NM) – revealing massive taxpayer losses related to the destructive
extraction of fossil fuels and the mining of hard rock minerals from publicly
held lands.
The report notes there is a huge discrepancy
between the value of oil, gas, and coal removed from public lands and the amount
actually paid in royalties by fossil fuel companies. In addition, the report finds
there is a total lack of disclosure for the value of the gold, silver, uranium,
and other resources mined from public lands by companies raking in billions of
dollars in profits but paying nothing in royalties. That mining is still
governed by a law signed into effect by President Ulysses S. Grant.
The full report is available here: http://1.usa.gov/UScbwM.
Sierra Club Executive
Director Michael Brune Released the Following Statement in Response:
“This report provides an answer to anyone
wondering why big polluters are so eager to get their hands on our public
lands: big oil and mining companies get bargain basement deals to destroy the
mountains, valleys, and rivers owned by everyone else while raking in billions
in profits.
These big companies are the worst possible
tenants American taxpayers could have, devastating the property they have been
trusted with by sacrificing our lands and poisoning our water – and then
getting rewarded for it.
Congressman Grijalva and Senator Udall have
done American taxpayers a tremendous service by demanding transparency from the
big oil and mining companies pillaging our public lands for their limitless
profits. Now, it’s time for Congress to act to not just ensure taxpayers get a
square deal, but to protect the lands that belong to all of us from
exploitation at the hands of just a few companies who deserve to be evicted.”
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