1. Hard Rock Mining in Oregon
Environment, Economy, and Laws

2. Federal Laws General Mining Act of 1872 Organic Act of 1910
Federal Land Policy and Management Act of 1976
Mining in the Parks Act of 1976
Mining Safety and Health Act of 1977
Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act (CERCLA)
EPA National Hardrock Mining Framework (1997)

3. Unsuccessful Efforts to Reform Federal Mining Law
2015: 2-part resolution H963
Hard Rock Mining Reform and Reclamation Act
Good Samaritan Cleanup of Abandoned Hard Rock Mines Act
2017: EPA declined to issue rules, ordered by Court of Appeals, requiring mining operations to provide financial assurance that they would be able to meet CERCLA clean-up rules, citing adequacy current state and federal regulations and risks of tax-payer funded actions.

4. State Laws and Management
Statewide Planning Goals (Senate Bill 100, 1977)
“Dueling Goals”
Goal 5: specific provisions for the inventory and protection of mineral and aggregate resources.
Goal 6: maintain and improve the quality of the air, water and land resources of the state
Department of Geology and Mineral Industries (DOGAMI)
Geologic Survey and Services (GSS)
Mineral Land Regulation and Reclamation (MLRR) – regulates Oregon mining industry
1991 Oregon Chemical Process Mining Law
HB 3089 (2015) – DOGAMI Report on mining potential in southern and eastern Oregon
SB 644 (2017) - Allows mining sites with significant mineral resources to bypass statewide land use planning goals and rules that apply to exclusive farm use (EFU) zones as long as applicant meet specific requirements
State Laws and Management

5. Consolidated Mining Permit process (ORS 517. 952 to 517
Consolidated Mining Permit process (ORS to ) Calico Mine application the first under these rules)
Ensure coordination between state agencies, federal agencies, and local governments
Consolidate baseline data requirements for needed State permits
Provide for single comprehensive environmental analysis and socioeconomic study
Provide a clear path for application processing including required opportunities for public input – Efficient schedule with specified deadlines
Designate a single lead agency to provide coordination, accountability, and to mediate disagreements between agencies
• Provide certain and limited permit requirements for applicant
• Ensure Environmental Standards are met

6. Report focuses 0n locatable Minerals – precious and base metals
Most mining is of salable minerals such as sand, cement, and gravel
Volcanic nature means few areas suitable for mining of locatable minerals
No currently active commercial scale mining operations
Proposed Calico gold mine
Past and potential mined minerals: Gold, Silver, Copper, Lead, Zinc, Nickel, Uranium
Mining in Oregon

7. Economy Economic Costs Evaluating economic potential difficult
Path to profitable mine is long, difficult and expensive
Benefits
Expenditures associated with exploration
New jobs
New income and increased spending in community
Local and state taxes
Products made from minerals
Purchase of products and services by company
Jobs associated with reclamation and monitoring
Economic Costs
Instability and volatility of mining jobs; often boom/bust
Displacement of other more sustainable economic activity
Potential environmental damage
Effects on local infrastructure
Economy

8. Environment

9. Detrimental impacts of mining
Physical disturbance
Contamination of surface and ground water, air, and soil
Habitat and ecosystem disturbance
Metal mining most polluting industry with 47% of toxic pollution of and and water (2013 EPA)

10. Coordination of Environmental Analyses
State law requires environmental analysis of chemical aspects of mining.
Consolidated Mining Permit process (ORS to )
DOGAMI works with county and/or federal agencies, and Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ), Oregon Water Resources Department (OWRD), Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife (ODFW), and Oregon Department of Agriculture (ODA) to coordinate analysis.

11. Environmental Impacts
Water
Erosion and Sedimentation
Ground water draw down
Acid mine drainage
Cyanide heap leaching
Metal and dissolved pollutants
Accidental spills
Soils
Erosion leading to sedimentation in streams
Contamination
Reduced slope stability
Air born dust contaminants
Removal of vegetation leading to loss of habitat
Air Quality
Winds can distribute dust form mining operations.
Heavy metals may build up downwind of mining site.
Truck transport of ore can disperse dust along haul route.
Habitat
Degrade, reduce or eliminate habitat for birds, fish, wildlife, and unique plants.
Multiple Use
Mining priority use on public lands
Reduced opportunities for hunting, fishing, recreation, foraging, and timber harvest.
Esthetic qualities

12. Reclamation and Long-term Monitoring
1981: BLM regulations: all hard rock mining operations to reclaim land disturbed by mining after operations had ceased.
2001: Require bonds or financial assurances before beginning exploration or mining operations on land managed by the BLM.
DOGAMI coordinates with BLM on reclamation bonds.

13. Alternatives to Mining
Recycling
Electronic devices
Batteries
Nickel
Scrap metal
Reuse
Conservation