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Carol Raulston

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
May 2, 2002

American Voters Strongly Support U.S. Minerals and Coal Production According to Nationwide Survey

Seventy-five percent of registered voters think minerals such as coal, zinc, copper and gold found in the United States "play a major role in keeping the economy strong and in maintaining the quality of life we have come to enjoy," according to recent nationwide public opinion research conducted by Market Strategies on behalf of NMA, the National Mining Association.

Similarly, 80 percent of those surveyed think the United States "should do everything it can to discover and produce valuable minerals like coal, silver, zinc titanium and platinum."

Eighty-four to ninety percent of voters view the use of American minerals and coal in military equipment (aircraft, naval ships and missiles), high technology (communications satellites, fiber optic cable, computers and cellular telephones), transportation and to generate electricity as "extremely or very important."

And 90 percent believe we need "a National Minerals Strategy to ensure our quality of life in the future," with 63% percent saying they "strongly believe" we need such a strategy

Even after hearing statements made by detractors of U.S. mining, 73 percent of respondents say the "lands owned by the United States should be open to mining, provided the land is reclaimed, environmental safeguards are put in place and the government gets a good return for the use of the land," policy positions supported by NMA. Only 22 percent agreed that such lands "belong to the public and should be set aside for future generations to enjoy and should not be used for mining, forestry or ranching. They should be left alone."

Ninety-six percent of those questioned in the survey think "mining in the United States can be done in an environmentally responsible way ," with 72 percent thinking mining companies have done a average, good or excellent job over the last 5 years to protect the environment. Referencing these numbers, Jack Gerard, NMA president said, "It's good to know the public believes mining can be environmentally responsible, our job is to meet the public's rightful expectations."

This is the first comprehensive survey of public attitudes towards mining and minerals conducted on NMA's behalf. In March, 2002, 800 adults were surveyed via telephone by Market Strategies, a national opinion research firm with offices in Alexandria, VA. The survey had a margin of error of plus or minus 3.46%. Participants were registered voters with higher incomes ($50,000+) and more years of education (college educated+).

"We wanted to learn more about the attitudes of Americans who are more likely to make time for the news and follow the current events of the day," Gerard explained. "These results provide important information for the mining industry and for policy makers as they consider the future of coal and minerals production in this country."