Coal Versus Gold: $6 Billion in Royalties Versus $0

Fact Sheet Read time:
Projects: Campaign for Responsible Mining
Coal Versus Gold: $6 Billion in Royalties Versus $0

The 1872 Mining Law, which gives away mineral resources and sells off public lands, governs the mining of “hardrock” minerals such as gold, copper, and uranium on western public lands. Unlike coal mining on federal lands, which is subject to significant royalty, reclamation and clean-up requirements, hardrock mining can take metals from public property in unlimited amounts virtually for free and is governed by few environmental standards. Coal mining on public land is governed by the Mineral Leasing Act. Under this law, which has been amended numerous times since its passage in 1920, the federal government retains ownership of lands leased for mining and recoups a royalty that is shared with the states.


There are striking contrasts in the details of the two laws, including the dramatic bottom line: From 1920 to 2000, royalties collected from coal mined on federal lands totaled $6,061,942,562. In contrast, no royalties have ever been collected under the 1872 Mining Law.

Downloads Coal vs Gold Fact Sheet
Downloads Coal vs Gold Fact Sheet
RELATED
Topics
Land Conservation
Projects
Campaign for Responsible Mining
America’s Overdose Crisis
America’s Overdose Crisis

America’s Overdose Crisis

Sign up for our five-email course explaining the overdose crisis in America, the state of treatment access, and ways to improve care

Sign up
Quick View
America’s Overdose Crisis

America’s Overdose Crisis

Sign up for our five-email course explaining the overdose crisis in America, the state of treatment access, and ways to improve care

Sign up

ADDITIONAL RESOURCES

A large group of people in formal or traditional attire stands together on a stage, with a digital background depicting marine life and the large text “WTO Agreement on Fisheries Subsidies.”

Article

April 10, 2024 WTO Needs to Redouble Its Effort on Fishing Subsidies
A man in a winter hat and sunglasses kneels on a rocky shoreline in front of a campfire, holding a metal mug with gloved hands. Behind him, in the water, a motorboat is moored to the shore. Cliffs rise on both sides of the water.

Article

April 4, 2024 Why Newfoundland’s South Coast Fjords Are Sacred
A landscape with mountains and clouds. BLM Rule Puts Conservation, Other Land Uses on Equal Footing

MORE FROM PEW

A presentation being given by a businesswoman to a group of participants at a business conference. Four Plan Features Can Boost 'Retirement Readiness'
An illustration of a couple holding hands walking away from an outline of houses behind them Pathways to Homeownership: Housing in America
A photograph of City Hall in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania Philadelphia to Address Pressing Policy Challenges
A bright blue T-cell infected by HIV is engulfed by hundreds of yellow virions. Pew Researcher Seeks to Crack Code on HIV Cure
Composite image of modern city network communication concept

Learn the Basics of Broadband from Our Limited Series

Sign up for our four-week email course on Broadband Basics
Quick View

How does broadband internet reach our homes, phones, and tablets? What kind of infrastructure connects us all together? What are the major barriers to broadband access for American communities?

Pills illustration
Pills illustration

What Is Antibiotic Resistance—and How Can We Fight It?

Sign up for our four-week email series The Race Against Resistance.
Quick View
Pills illustration

Antibiotic-resistant bacteria, also known as “superbugs,” are a major threat to modern medicine. But how does resistance work, and what can we do to slow the spread? Read personal stories, expert accounts, and more for the answers to those questions in our four-week email series: Slowing Superbugs.