Robert Mellor is the Chairman of the Board at Coeur Mining and was appointed interim CEO in August 2020.
Coeur Mining is a precious metals producer based in Chicago and a member of the National Mining Association. They produce gold, lead, zinc, and silver across the US, Mexico, and Canada.
The National Mining Association (NMA) is a national trade organization that advocates for mining in Congress. The NMA provides a forum for over 250 organizations and companies to voice their ideas and concerns.
Climate Change:
The National Mining Association (NMA) is notorious for aggressive lobbying against mining restrictions. In 2008, NMA increased their lobbying budget to $19.7 million, and between 2010-2011 they spent over $500 million on “campaign contributions and lobbying to defeat global warming legislation and clean energy initiatives.” NMA was listed as the 9th largest association to contribute to anti-climate change efforts. Additionally, they support other organizations linked to climate denial including the American Petroleum Institute’s “Global Climate Science” denial campaign, the Greening Earth Society, and were part of the leadership in the Global Climate Coalition.
The National Mining Association has stated, “the greenhouse effect is a natural phenomenon necessary for life on earth; without it the planet’s average temperature would be 0 degrees Fahrenheit, instead of 60 degrees.” The NMA advocates for climate change strategies that don’t include cutting carbon emissions. They say that, “any meaningful effort to achieve long-term, sustainable reductions in global greenhouse gas emissions will depend on the development and deployment of new energy technologies, including advanced clean coal technologies and carbon capture and storage (CCS).”
The NMA helped produce a film for Appalachian mining communities that stated, “ “As more and more scientists are confirming, our world is deficient in carbon dioxide and a doubling of atmospheric CO2 is very beneficial.” They are associated with the film “The Greening of Planet Earth,” which states, “as more and more scientists are confirming, our world is deficient in carbon dioxide and a doubling of atmospheric CO2 is very beneficial.”
Alaska:
Coeur Mining owns Kensington mine in Alaska, which includes 3 main deposits, minor deposits, and exploration sites. They are currently expanding their mining operations due to positive exploration results. A 2015 Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) report found that Kensington Mine has over 200 wastewater discharge violations, unauthorized acid rock discharge into Salt Lake, and other violations. Coeur Mining neither confirms nor denies these findings.
See Also:
Alaska Miners Association
Tek Alaska Inc
Climate of Denial