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Legislative and Regulatory Update
April 2020 by Scott Harn
• Washington State copies California’s wayward regulations
On March 9, the Washington State legislature sent a bill to Gov. Inslee’s desk that will prohibit all forms of motorized mining in streams where Endangered Species Act listed fish are present. The governor is expected to sign the measure.
House Bill 1261 passed 60-35, while companion bill SB 5322 passed in the Senate 37-10, with votes passed along party lines; Democrats were in favor, while Republicans were against it.
The bill would make all motorized prospecting and mining illegal in ESA-designated waterways. Uneducated legislators swayed by extreme environmental groups continue to ignore the benefits provided by suction gold dredgers.
The evidence is clear that dredge miners remove heavy metals like mercury and lead and create desired thermal refugia as they clean our waterways. Dredging “seasons” were already in place so that dredging operations did not interfere with spawning seasons.
Bills like these passed in Washington State are the reason why we continue to focus our efforts on changes at the federal level. Utilizing federal preemption on federal mining claims, we believe these types of frivolous regulations can be overcome, and we continue to advocate for changes at the federal level during our trips to Washington, DC with Public Lands for the People. (You can read more about our efforts in the “PLP Update” column.)
MCS Index Shows Decrease in Mining Costs
The latest Mining Cost Service (MCS) Cost indexes, released on February 26 by Western Mine Engineering, Inc., display a hint of a silver lining in the cloud hanging over the U.S. Mining Industry.
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The Bawl Mill
The Centennial Lode and the Centennial Ridge District, Wyoming
In 1874, placer gold was discovered in the Middle Fork of the Little Laramie River south of the present site of Centennial village. The source of the gold was traced upslope to a nearby ridge in the following year.
BLM Cancels 10-Million-Acre Sage Grouse Mineral Withdrawal
The very way it was done at the time didn’t give one much confidence in the objectivity and honesty of the BLM study.
Michigan House Votes to Give Mining Operations More Flexibility
Casperson said he is not worried about businesses subverting the language in the bill because the DEQ would still have the authority to halt the new construction if it is deemed environmentally unsound.
Lode Gold in Honduras
Honduras, about the size of Ohio, is one of the “banana republics” in Central America. The central part of the nation is mountainous, with peaks reaching 9,000 feet.
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The Bawl Mill
• Sampling for Success—Part II
• Ask The Experts - Investing: How do you know which companies have potential?
• Miners Fight Back When BLM Says 'Your Claim Is Too Long'
• It's Another 'Ben Day'
• How to Research Prospecting Locations and Mining Claims
• Some Tips and Tricks for Dredgers: Determining Pulley Size and Belt Length
• Where Will The Gold Price Go From Here?
• Holcomb Valley Gold, Southern California
• Gold Prospecting for Better or Worse: The Good Luck and Bad Luck of Prospecting With Animals
• Lode Miner Continues to Find Pocket Gold
• Judge Backs Minnesota's Twin Metals Mine in Lease Dispute
• Over the Divide: Rick Lague
• Melman on Gold & Silver
• Mining Stock Quotes and Mineral & Metal Prices
