Mining on National Park Service Lands--What Is At Stake.
Abstract
The Department of the Interior recommended to the Congress in 1979 that mining claims on certain National Park Service lands be acquired for environmental protection. GAO found that these recommendations were based on vague and misleading environmental and cost data and, if implemented, could result in costs substantially in excess of the reported estimates. GAO also found that Interior did not fully analyze the mineral supply implications of its recommendations. Specifically, Interior failed to assess adequately the effects of acquiring the mining claims on the U.S. need for the minerals and the cost to replace them from other sources. The National Park Service now states that current mining regulations have ensured that mining on these park lands is occurring in an environmentally acceptable manner. However, NPS had not considered less costly means of achieving the same results. This is particularly true for Death Valley National Monument, an area historically and currently important for mineral production.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Sep 24, 1981
- Accession Number
- ADA108456
Entities
Organizations
- United States Government Accountability Office