[decimon]

The bulk of the poor environmental track record of mining industry is from a time before current technologies and regulations. Enforce the strict rules, use the latest technology and billions can be dumped into our economy safely. Every environmental issue is hyperbole and based on what might happened. Same excuses for not drilling in the Gulf or harvesting the vast oil reserves we have in shale. With the middle east exploding we can not afford being resource dependent.

As long as the taxpayer doesn't get stuck with the bill for cleanup. As long as Todd Palin doesn't have to take a factory job for there being no fish.

[BushCountry]

As long as the taxpayer doesn't get stuck with the bill for cleanup.

A statement like this drives me nuts. First, no taxpayer gets stuck with one individual project or cleanup. Taxpayers get stuck with one large massive bill (this year 4.6 Trillion dollars).

If this project brings in 10 billion in extra revenue and the government has to spend 200 million to clean up an area using the slush fund, then the government is still 9.8 billion to the good. However, people scream we are using tax payer's money to clean it up because the government already spent the 10 billion funding sex education on our kindergartners.