Legislation & RegulationFree / Legislation & Regulation Legislative and Regulatory UpdateFebruary 2019 by Scott • Oregon miners petition US Supreme Court in Bohmker v. Oregon In Joshua Caleb Bohmker v. State of Oregon, the Miners argue the State of Oregon is thumbing its collective nose at federal preemption under the Property Clause and the Supremacy Clause of the US Constitution, Articles IV and VI, respectively. This case differs from Rinehart v. State of California in that Rinehart was cited for suction dredging without a permit, while Bohmker sued the State of Oregon for passing legislation that outlawed the use of motorized equipment on federal mining claims. The legislation permanently prevents a miner from developing his mining claim on federal lands. It should be noted that the Galice Mining District intervened in this case and is asserting their rights under the 1872 Mining Act. The 1872 Mining Act includes “...and according to the local customs or rules of miners in the several mining districts...” We had hoped Mr. Buchal would incorporate Mining District rights, as defined in the 1872 Mining Act, into the Rinehart case, but for whatever reason that did not happen. With Bohmker v. Oregon, this may be an opportunity to see if the US Supreme Court will honor this relevant statue in this case and if the new makeup of Supreme Court justices are ready to take a hard look at federal preemption. You’ll find a link to this Petition for Writ of Certiorari in the online version of this article. • Wheeler receives hearing as EPA Administrator Wheeler has prior experience as chief counsel to the Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works, and for Senator James Inhofe who is the current chair of the Senate Armed Services Committee. With the current makeup of the Senate, Wheeler is expected to be confirmed shortly. © ICMJ's Prospecting and Mining Journal, CMJ Inc. |