Magazine

Legislation & Regulation

Legislative and Regulatory Update

April 2015 by Scott Harn

• Positive bill passes House

HR 185, the Regulatory Accountability Act of 2015, has passed the House with a vote of 250-175 and is moving on to the Senate.

The bill would:

require agencies to choose the least costly option when considering regulations.
restrict agencies’ use of interim regulations without public comment and provide for a quick judicial review if used.
require hearings to review the accuracy of data for the most costly regulations.

• Anti-mining bill dies in Washington State

As we reported in last month’s column, environmental group “Fish Not Gold” proposed HB 1162, a bill that would have mandated another study on in-stream mining and would have established a moratorium on suction gold dredging in Washington State.

We also sent an email out to those subscribers with email addresses who live in Washington State. It was a brief message to alert miners of a hearing on HB 1162 in front of the House Agriculture & Natural Resources Committee in Olympia on February 12, and we urged readers to send in comments to their legislators.

We are happy to report that HB 1162 did not make it out of the House prior to the expiration date and the bill is dead for this session. It’s always possible it could be reintroduced next year, so keep on the lookout for another attempt to shut down small-scale mining by environmental extremists in Washington State.

Keep up the good work!

by Scott Harn

Next Article »« Previous Article

Add a Comment

Additional articles that might interest you...

MMAC Update

November 2016
Within these districts, some of the roads and trails have been reopened for access, critical habitat designations have been scaled back, and a few Mining Districts were completely removed from proposed withdrawals.

Suction Dredging Battle Escalates

December 2014
• State attorneys claim the Court of Appeals wrongly relied on South Dakota Mining Association v. Lawrence County regarding federal preemption...

Oregon Miners Take DEQ to Court, Again

January 2011
Since 2005, a group representing a handful of Oregon and Washington mining organizations, centered around the Eastern Oregon Mining Association (EOMA) and the Waldo Mining District (WMD), have been actively fighting the Oregon Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) over their then new “700PM Suction Dredge Mining Permit.”

Legislative and Regulatory Update

August 2018

• Pruitt out at EPA
• NDAA still under negotiation
• AMRA’s California mining bill fails to reach floor vote

Legislative and Regulatory Update

April 2015
• Positive bill passes House
• Anti-mining bill dies in Washington State

Legislative and Regulatory Update

July 2019

Administration issues proposals to fix mining access and permitting
Online “webinar” and request for comments for proposed Forest Service NEPA revisions

5th Circuit Ruling May Benefit Miners

April 2011
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!

Subscription Required:
The Bawl Mill • Our Readers Say • Ask The Experts • Ask The Experts • Exploring Snakehead • One of the Richest Beaches Ever Mined • Prospecting for Gold in Baja California • What's All This Talk About Mining Districts? • The Power of Mining Districts • What is a Mining Right? • The Gold, Silver and Base Metal Mines of Eureka, Nevada • Jadeite in California • Tips for Detecting Nugget Patches • Mining Stock Quotes and Mineral & Metal Prices • State Lends Help to County in Nevada Road Fight • Melman on Gold & Silver • Utah Approves funds to Fight Feds

Free:

Magazine

Legislative and Regulatory Update

Advertisements