HomeMy WebLinkAboutReview of Current Mining Permit Requirements in Various Jurisdictions
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lReview of Current Mining Permit Requirements in Various Jurisdictions
John H. Gasper, MSEM, P.E.
A. Typical Regulatory Goals and Administrative Controls (Kentucky)
1. Permit Fees
2. Reclamation Bonding
3. Permit Requirements
4. Signs and Markers
5. Blasting
6. Access Roads and Haul Roads
7. Protection of Environmental Resources
8. Protection of Surface Water Quality and Quantity
9. Permanent and Temporary Impoundments
10. Handling of Materials
11. Pre-mining and post-mining land uses
12. Revegetation
13. Contemporaneous Reclamation
14. Enforcement (Oversight~ Process, Penahies)
15. Settlement of Conflicts Procedures
B. Typical Permit Completeness Review (Reviewed by P.E.) - West Virginia
1. Proposal Map (specific guidelines (e.g., scale, size, details, etc.) - ALL MAPS
sealed by P .E. or LLS)
2. Drainage Map
3. Drainage Plans (Map and text)
4. Approved Construction in a Floodway Permit
5. Approved Permit for Stream Channel Relocation
6. Regrading Cross Sections
7. Geologic Cross Section
8. Hydrologic Cross Sections
9. Lithological Description
10. Excess Spoil Disposal Plans
11. Impoundment/Dam Design Drawings and Analyses
Dam Construction Details and cross-sections
Dam Break Analyses
Proximity to underground workings
Seepage analysis
Construction narrative
12. Blasting Pre-Plan (OSM Guidance Manual)
Scaled-Distance calculations / Blast round design
Calculations for Weight of Explosives / Delay relationships
Public facilities within 1000 feet of proposed blasting site
Pre-blast surveys of structures
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Structures (underground utilities, gas wells, overhead utilities, deep mines,
etc. within 500 feet of proposed blasting site.
Pre-blast surveys of structures
Nearest structures
Pre-blast surveys of structures
Climatological factors
13. Prime farmland considerations - soil survey mapping and descriptions
14. List of all ~ mile residents, utilities and local governments
15. List of all 1000 ft landowners with narrative on each 1000 ft structure
16. If mining within 300 ft of an occupied dwelling, submit prior rights or waiver
17. Archaeological Assessment! Cuhural Resources
18. Bonding
Full or incremental- deposit assurances
19. Corporate contact information
List of all officers and directors and local emergency contacts
20. Agents acting for the Company / relationship to Company
21. Hydrologic Impact of Proposed Mining
Monitoring well installation and sampling program
22. Mining Plans
Incremental plan with proposed annual extraction identified and sequence
of mining and.rec1amation activities to reflect concurrent reclamation
Monuments set in field and mapped indicating extent of proposed mining
activities.
23. All property owners within 0.5 miles mapped and listed
24. List of operable equipment (existing or projected)
25. Mineral rights owners and property owners identified for all land to be mined and
all adjacent parcels.
26. Notification letters to all contiguous land owners
27. Documents providing legal right to mine.
28. Site Safety Plan
29. Overburden Analyses - Will mining compromise water quality?
30. Pre-mining and post mining land uses
31. Protection of water rights - Well users within ~ mile
32. Drainage and Sediment Control Plans
33. Proposed or existing, active or inactive underground mining within 500 ft of
blasting zone
34. Engineering techniques used for the design of all structures.
35. Waste Disposal Plan
36. Topsoil Handling Plan
37. Toxic Overburden Plan (if necessary)
38. Post- mining Drainage Control Plan
39. Final Proposed Grading Plan
40. Revegetation Plan
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41. Corporate statement that no mining permits have been revoked or bonds forfeited
in any jurisdiction within the last 5 years.
42. Proof of public notification of intent to mine
C. Criteria for Permit Denial
1. Incomplete Permit and supporting documentation (ancillary permits, etc.)
2. Adverse affect on the existing residents (Public Safety)
3. Adverse affect on existing infrastructure
4. Unique land quality.
5. Consistency with adjacent land uses.
6. Near public facilities such as schools or parks (300 ft buffer)
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D. Specific example or need for regulatory oversight:
Blasting Concerns
Direct Impact - Fly Rock
Ground Motion - Vibration
Safe levels -V s- Nuisance Criteria
Air Concussion and Noise
Safe levels -Vs- Nuisance Criteria
Structural Damage -Underground Utilities
Self policing of industry "breaks glass" before problem
Hydrologic Impacts of Mining
Underground mining affect on water table while mining
Potential impact on Existing Carmel Well Field
Summary
. Need for appropriate oversight if adjacent to residential area
. Many variables involved that require unique credentials to evaluate in total
. First effort to mine in residential area
. Protection ofheahh, safety and welfare of public of paramount concern
. Present permit process does not force applicant to supply necessary information for
professional review
. Mining in residential area requires a very high standard of care compared to mining in a rural
area Public safety demands a complete review of the possible impacts of 50 years of mining
in your neighbors backyard.