More than 1,900 mining professionals gathered for the 130th annual conference of the American Exploration & Mining Association (AEMA) in Reno, Nevada, USA, during early December. The mood was upbeat. The outcome of the recent U.S. election will likely encourage more domestic mining investment. The industry is making gains as far as permitting reform, and the Good Samaritan Remediation of Abandoned Hard Rock Mines Act was heading to U.S. President Joe Biden’s desk for a signature.

Outgoing AEMA President Carolyn McIntosh, who is also a partner with Squire Patton Boggs, discussed the association’s 2024 achievements, which included 10 visits to Washington, D.C., to meet with policy makers, the launch of the #IamMining campaign, and ongoing efforts with mining-related litigation and permitting reform. “I have had the opportunity to work with great association presidents and Carolyn was the right president at the right time,” said Mark Compton, executive director, AEMA. “In 2024, we were involved in more litigation than ever before and the guidance she provided from a legal perspective was incredibly helpful.”

For 2025, the AEMA elected Jay Gear, vice president, environment and permitting, Coeur Mining, as its next president. Gear said the association is uniquely positioned to assist the incoming administration with minerals policy. He said the AEMA would remain committed to permitting reform, domestic mineral production and workforce recruitment and development. Speaking about the energy transition, Gear said: “The mining industry isn’t part of the solution; it is the solution.” During the conference, the mining industry received good news regarding the litigation related to the Bureau of Land Management’s (BLM) Mill Site Rule. Earlier this year, the D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals affirmed a lower court’s determination that the Mining Law does not restrict the number of mill sites. At the time, it looked as if the mining industry had prevailed, but the plaintiffs (Earthworks) requested an en banc review, a full-court review, and the court dismissed that request. A legal battle that began in 2009 has finally ended.

During one of the technical sessions, there was a lively discussion with BLM representatives regarding various aspects of permitting, including Sage Grouse and the Disturbance Cap. One of the presenters from BLM acknowledged that the Congress passed laws in 2023 telling the agency to increase the speed of the permitting review process. Thus far, BLM has failed to comply with the mandate. Hopefully, the incoming administration will assist them with more attention and resources.

As this edition was going to press, the House passed the Good Samaritan Act, which has been more than a decade in the making and will encourage the involvement of mining companies, conservation groups, and local stakeholders in abandoned mine cleanup without fear of incurring additional legal liability. It had already passed the Senate unanimously. Biden’s signature could be his parting Christmas gift to the mining industry and conservationists alike.

Steve Fiscor, Publisher & Editor-in-Chief, E&MJ