You have to hand itto McCain.  I hope the superciliousness of this news report is not a reflection of the profundity of his assessment of mining:

Republican presidential hopeful John McCain says the nation’s 136-year-old mining law needs to be updated, but that doesn’t necessarily mean he supports increasing fees paid by mining companies operating on public lands.

McCain, speaking with reporters after a town hall meeting today in Sparks, reiterated his support for the Yucca Mountain nuclear waste repository north of Las Vegas, but added that he believes reprocessing nuclear waste needs to be a part of the nation’s energy policies.

The Arizona Republican said Nevada again will be a battleground state in the fall election, and said his strategy will be to stress his knowledge and understanding of Western issues, including mining, public lands and water.

He seems to want it all way.  A new mining law; but no fees.  Yucca Mountain; but no nuclear waste.  Your vote; but no questions please. 

I suppose there is courage in supporting Yucca Mountain in Nevada.  Most people in Las Vegas do not want it.  Reprocessing uranium certainly would help if we could get past Jimmy Carter’s ban. 

I for one would like to see more from the Republican hopeful on what he would do about mining, Yucca Mountain, and uranium reprocessing it if I vote for him.  But I fear I will wait in vain.  Maybe the United States mining associations should issue a profound statement on these issues. 

Frogs and mining represent a far stretch.  But a posting at mga Kakaiban Kwento is fascinating enough to reconsider the issue.  In a remote part of Indonesia this is happening:

Bickford and Gillespie said the frog’s discovery adds urgency to the need to protect its river habitat, which in recent years has become polluted due to widespread illegal logging and gold mining. Once pristine waters are now brown and clogged with silt,they said. “The gold mining is completely illegal and small scale. But when there are thousands of them on the river, it really has a huge impact,” Bickford said. “Pretty soon the frogs will run out of the river.”

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I subscribe to the principles of Responsible Mining—it all just makes ethical good sense.   But I am profoundly suspicious of any site, publication, or organization that bandies about the word SUSTAINABLE.  At this link is an E-Book I have compiled from posting on this blog on mine stories that highlight the realities and illusions of the concept of sustainable mine development and closure. 

My suspicions are best expressed by these quotes from a piece that hit my e-mail in-box.  In its entirety it is a statement by Kevin Taft, Leader, Alberta Liberal Official Opposition.  He states (and I quote, select, and edit for context.)

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