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Legislative and Regulatory Update
August 2007 by Scott Harn
• This is a friendly reminder
September 1, 2007, is the deadline for mining claim holders to file the Maintenance Fee Waiver or pay fees to BLM to retain existing mining claims. Deadlines for filing with a county recorder vary by state, so check with your county if you do not know their requirements, fees or deadlines.
• Homebuilders’ case may help miners
The US Supreme Court recently decided a case that could prove helpful to miners. The case is National Association of Homebuilders v. Defenders of Wildlife.
It involved the Environmental Protection Agency’s decision to transfer permitting authority to the State of Arizona for permits issued under the National Pollution Discharge Elimination System (NPDES), which is mandated under the Clean Water Act.
The 9th Circuit Court of Appeals found that the Endangered Species Act gave the EPA the power and authority to deny transferring permitting authority to the state if threatened or endangered species would be harmed. The Supreme Court disagreed.
The Clean Water Act was originally passed in 1972. The Endangered Species Act was passed in 1973. The two Acts appeared to be in conflict.
Section 402(b) of the Clean Water Act says that if nine specific criteria are met, the EPA “shall” transfer NPDES permitting authority to the state requesting it, while the Endangered Species Act states that a federal agency must consult to “insure that any action authorized, funded, or carried out by such agency… is not likely to jeopardize the continued existence of any endangered species or threatened species.”
It is likely that NPDES permits issued by the State of Arizona will eventually result in a “take” of one or more endangered or threatened species.
The Supreme Court stated that “shall” transfer authority means there is no leeway for the EPA to deny the transfer of permitting authority. The Court ruled that the Endangered Species Act only applies to discretionary federal actions. In this case, the federal government must abide by the word “shall” and allow the transfer of permitting authority to the State of Arizona.
There are countless mining-related, non-discretionary activities that were pre-authorized by the 1872 Mining Law that have been deemed by lower courts to be in conflict with the Endangered Species Act. Some of these lower court rulings may now be in conflict with this Supreme Court ruling. It remains to be seen if government agencies and courts will comply with the ruling or try to circumvent it.
The case is National Association of Home Builders v. Defenders of Wildlife, Nos. 06-340 and 06-549, and it is available for review on our website. Click on Additional Resources and scroll down to “Court Cases” to view the Supreme Court decision.
• “Ecological resources must be protected…”
Though the California Regional Water Quality Control Board’s recent draft report doesn’t come right out and say it, it’s obvious by their wording that they intend to try to restrict or prohibit suction dredge mining, and quite possibly many other water-based activities that Californians enjoy.
The report states that streams must be maintained to provide a “dynamic equilibrium” between sediments and discharges, and that “instabilities” such as pools “lead to water quality problems and the destruction of stream habitats.”
There are 180 studies listed to back up their hypothetical situations and assertions. Notably absent are any of the studies that have shown that suction dredge mining is of insufficient significance to warrant further attention, or that suction dredges remove harmful contaminants, loosen compacted gravels for spawning areas, and lower water temperatures. Also absent are any economic studies that could show the agency that the current use of our waterways—by mining, fishing, boating and general recreation—creates jobs and income for citizens and businesses, and taxes for local and state governments. There is also no mention of the cost of additional bureaucracy to implement and oversee their forthcoming mitigation plans and restrictions.
The draft states, “Although this report has not focused on the impacts of land uses on stream and wetland system conditions, an underlying theme has been that key watershed variables and ecological processes must be protected or restored…”
It appears that a lawsuit will eventually be necessary to restore the rights of miners.
Mud Men: Pocket Miners of Southwest Oregon Part III
The amount of gold in the traces from the low-grade scattered veinlets may be much more than the traces from the small but rich pocket, at least until the pocket hunter closes in on the rich pocket. Further confusion arises if the prospector stumbles across a placer deposit on one of the higher peaks.
Ganes Creek Hits 10 Years—Part II
You keep all you find at Ganes, with weekly tallies kept for a loose competition that I find helps motivate me. I seriously try to find more nuggets than anyone else in a given week, and usually make it or close to it.
Resurrecting An Old Hard Rock Mine
There were nice sections of vein material at the end of several drifts, like they just stopped work one day and walked away.
Is a Gold Rush Coming to the Iron Range?
Scientists from the state Department of Natural Resources reported that they recently discovered the highest concentrations of gold particles ever found in the state during routine soil sampling near Soudan.
Treasure Hawk Mine Back in Action
Some of you may recall our article on the cleanup of the Treasure Hawk Mine claims in our August 2000 issue. Much has happened since then. Cutthroat Mining Corporation has completed all major restoration projects and...
Old Patch, New Detector
I have been detecting the area on and off since I discovered it. Every time I bought a new detector it was the first place I went to.
I-147 Before Montana Supreme Court
A group supporting a ballot measure to overturn a ban on using cyanide in certain mines has told the Montana Supreme Court it should throw out a lawsuit against Initiative 147. Facts surrounding the claims of I-147 opponents must be sorted out before the high court can consider the legal challenge, said proponents who call themselves Miners, Merchants and Montanans for Jobs and Economic Opportunity.
Subscription Required:
The Bawl Mill
• Ask the Experts
• The Basics of Small-Scale Heap Leaching with Cyanide
• Will California Dredging Survive?
• Prospecting For Gold—The Osborne/Herman Hardrock Mine
• Journeys in the Kingman Quadrangle
• From Spanish Mine to Modern-Day Exploration: The Historic Gold-Silver Camp of Palmarejo
• Spanish Police Seize Ship in Treasure Fight
• Looking Back
• Gold Mine Proposed in Jefferson County
• Melman on Gold & Silver
• Mining Stock Quotes and Mineral & Metal Prices
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