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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
January 5, 2001

CLINTON'S "ENVIRONMENTAL LEGACY" LEAVES BEHIND LEGACY OF ENERGY PROBLEMS ROADLESS PROPOSAL DENIES ACCESS TO KNOWN ENERGY RESOURCES

Washington -- In a rush to implement yet another midnight regulation, the Clinton administration is turning a cold shoulder to our nation's impending energy crisis, while destroying the jobs and the economies that support America's rural western communities. The administration's roadless proposal calls for nearly a third of all the forest land owned by the federal government to be designated "off limits" to road building, economic development and public access.

"At a time when America needs it most, this administration is denying access to billions of tons of low-sulfur coal and trillions of cubic feet of natural gas," said NMA President and Chief Executive Officer Jack N. Gerard. "The American people will pay a huge a price for this Administration's so-called 'environmental legacy'."

The measure reportedly will prohibit recovery of known high-quality coal reserves in Colorado and Utah. The agency's own Environmental Impact Statement reports that this rule could cause a shortage of coal over the next 20-30 years. Currently, over 57 percent of America's electricity is generated from coal.

"The president is making decisions that will further exacerbate our energy shortages," said Gerard. "This ill-conceived proposal brings to mind the 1996 creation of the Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument in Utah, where 62 billion tons of high-quality coal reserves could have generated as much as $1.1 billion in state revenue."

The NMA, along with other industry groups, the Western Governors' Association, and members of Congress, maintains that roadless rule exceeds all legal authority. "Unfortunately, the administration bowed down to special-interest environmental groups and wrote this rule behind closed doors," said Gerard.

The latest roadless plan, which will affect 38 states, denies the public access to nearly 59 million acres of its land - the largest withdrawal directive in history.

"Despite the countless environmental laws already in place, this directive prohibits recovery of energy resources in these areas and will shut down many industry operations, costing America hundreds of million of dollars in economic benefit and thousands of high-paying jobs," explained Gerard.

According to the Small Business Administration, the potential economic impact on small businesses and small communities could be "devastating."

The NMA points out that the impacts from this new rule on the mining industry will be detrimental:

• millions of tons of low sulfur coal will be inaccessible;
• existing coal operations will be forced to shut-down, resulting in a 40 percent reduction in coal production in Colorado and Utah alone;
• hundreds of millions dollars in mining company payroll, taxes, and reclamation fees will be lost;
• over 2.5 billion tons of phosphate reserves will be in accessible;
• exploration for and development of gold, silver, copper and other minerals will be prohibited, forcing America to import these necessary minerals from overseas.

"The mining industry is deeply committed to preserving our environment and feels the current environmental laws in place fulfill that purpose," said Gerard. "But the administration broke every rule in the book with this land-grab, which denies access to public lands for recreation, wildfire prevention, insect and forest disease control, and necessary, responsible resource management and development such as mining."

The U.S. mining industry produces coal, metals, building materials, and many other essential minerals that define the daily lives of 267 million Americans. The mining industry generates over $500 billion in total economic benefit each year and helps to sustain nearly 5 million U.S. jobs.