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2008 WMC Annual Fly-In
The Women’s Mining Coalition annual fly in was completed the week of April 21-25, 2008. Thirty-five women participated on the trip, representing coal and hardrock mining companies, exploration firms, manufacturers, service-engineering companies, consultants, and energy producers. We completed 165 scheduled meetings, along with additional meetings that many of the women scheduled to connect with their specific legislators. We also completed 35 brief visits, dropping off our materials with the offices we were not able to schedule meetings. The 2008 Fly In covered over 200 offices – a successful week indeed.
In the meetings we covered such topics as Mining Law Reform, Mine Safety Issues, the Clean Water Act, Clean Coal Technologies, the Lieberman-Warner Climate Bill, our increasing dependence on foreign imports of natural resources, and Energy and Mineral Independence.
In general staff and Members of Congress were concerned with: 1) growing-increasing foreign reliance of the minerals we need to sustain our standard of living – translating to economic and national security concerns; 2) increasing job losses and investment dollars leaving the US due to uncertainty related to proposed legislation related to both climate change and mining law reform – offshoring concerns; and 3) the need to fund and advance clean coal technologies first prior to passing legislation – we need the technologies to be working before we require companies to implement.
WMC wishes to thank National Mining Association and its staff for helping to make the 2008 fly in successful. Their continued help is much appreciated, helping us to achieve our annual fly in successes. We also wish to extend our thanks to all the companies who supported women to participate on the trip and in the Coalition, along with mining associations nationwide for their assistance and support.
History and Mission
The Women’s Mining Coalition (WMC) has been an active grassroots organization since 1993 bringing constituents together from across the country to communicate with members of Congress and their staff. In the early years, members and participants in the WMC initially addressed proposed Mining Law Reform legislation. The organization continues today, addressing many issues facing the mining industry. WMC is able to do this effectively because of the diversity of the women working in our modern domestic mining industry.
The issues facing our industry require participation from stakeholders nationwide. WMC’s participants and members come from the many diverse sectors including: metals, coal, iron ore, construction materials, and industrial minerals companies; manufacturers and suppliers; trade associations; and consultants. The WMC continues to expand its network into these many sectors, helping the mining industry expand its nationwide outreach and effectiveness.
The Women’s Mining Coalition has been organizing grassroots outreach efforts both in our home states, as well as in Washington, D.C., including an annual trip to our nation’s capitol to meet with members of Congress and their staff, in both the Senate and the House of Representatives. Participants meet in excess of 200 Senators and Representatives during our trips to DC, distributing important information about issues facing the mining industry. In recent years, our continued efforts in partnership with NMA played a vital role in helping to pass a national energy policy in 2005. As well, our continued focus helps us to provide facts about mountaintop mining, the need for modernization of the National Environmental Policy Act and the Endangered Species Act, national mineral policy discussions including Mining Law Reform, and many other important issues.