Legislation & Regulation
Colorado Disputes Key Part of EPA Mine Report
December 2015 by Associated Press
King’s letter is a blow to the EPA’s contention that outside technical experts supported its plan to push a drainage pipe through debris covering the entrance to the Gold King Mine…MMAC & PLP Update
Keep in mind there are specific steps that must be taken to get your traditional mining district organized if it has fallen into disarray.
SB 838 and the Future of Mining in Oregon
The verbage is SB 838 is vague and ambiguous to say the least. As a result, there is quite a bit of misinformation floating around the rumor mills.
PLP Update: How to Restore The Rights of Suction Dredge Miners
A two-pronged approach is necessary to restore suction dredging; federal preemption needs to be established as addressed above via petition; and clarification from the EPA is needed to establish that no Section 402 permit is necessary when there is no “addition” of a pollutant.
Protecting Our Access to Public Lands

5th Circuit Ruling May Benefit Miners
This ruling comes at an opportune time, just as suction dredge miners are dealing with new proposed regulations in several western states. Be sure to cite this case when you provide comments on the regulations!
Forest Service v. Michael & Linda Backlund
On Tuesday morning, August 26, 2010, my clients Michael and Linda Backlund were forced to plead guilty to a charge of violating 36 CFR §261.10(b), which criminalizes maintaining a residence on Forest Service land without authorization “when such authorization is required.” This is a new regulation pursuant to which virtually anything, even a tent, is an unlawful “residence” unless authorized in advance.
California Dredgers: A Step Closer to Getting Back in the Water
...Judge Ochoa ordered the parties to participate in mandatory settlement hearings starting June 24, 2014.
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