ABSTRACT
Major laws and regulations governing gold mining operations in the United States are discussed, including the Clean Water Act, CERCLA (the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation and Liability Act), the National Environmental Policy Act, the Federal Land Policy and Management Act of 1976, the National Forest Management Act of 1976, the Wilderness Act of 1964, the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act, the General Mining Law of 1872, the Endangered Species Act, the Surface Mining Control and Reclamation Act, the Migratory Bird Treaty Act, the Clean Air Act, and the National Historic Preservation Act. Proposed reforms of current mining laws are listed. Selected regulatory aspects of gold mining on public and state lands in the United States, Australia, Brazil, Chile, Guyana, Ghana, Peru, and Papua New Guinea are presented.
