Congressman Raul Grijalva said Tuesday that he will introduce legislation to reform U.S. mining laws.
The Arizona Democrat says after about 150 years, some changes are due.
Grijalva said during a subcommittee hearing on U.S. mining law that it was time to bring the law into the 21st century.
It was passed when Ulysses Grant was president, before the nation understood the environmental impacts of mining.
He pointed out that oversight of the industry is lacking, and that tribal consultation needs to be improved.
Under the current system, companies pay no royalties, in spite of the fact that there are thousands of abandoned mining sites throughout the West, which must frequently be cleaned up at taxpayer expense.