SENATE BILL REPORT

                           SCR 8409

                 AS PASSED SENATE, MAY 5, 1993

Brief Description:  Concerning open pit metallic ore mining.

SPONSORS: Senators Owen, Erwin, Franklin and Pelz

Staff:  Vic Moon (786-7469)

BACKGROUND:

Metals mining is the extraction of metallic ore from surrounding hard rock.  There are several methods, including milling and leach mining.  Milling involves crushing rock and mixing it in an enclosed tank with a solvent.  Leach mining involves piling crushed rock onto a leaching pad and soaking it with a solvent.  In both types of mining, the solvent dissolves the metal and carries it out of the rock.  The solvent/metal mixture is then recovered and processed.  The solvent is generally reused. 

Both milling and leach mining are commonly used to mine gold.  A cyanide solution is the solvent in both processes.

SUMMARY:

The House Committee on Natural Resources & Parks and the Senate Committee on Natural Resources will study metals mining and report back to the 1994 Legislature.  The chairs of the committees may appoint an advisory committee to assist in gathering information.

Appropriation:  none

Revenue:  none

Fiscal Note:  none requested