HOUSE BILL REPORT

                  HB 1680

             As Reported By House Committee On:

                      Natural Resources

Title:  An act relating to mining and milling operations.

Brief Description:  Regulating mining and milling operations.

Sponsors:  Representatives Sump, McMorris, L. Thomas, Chandler, Buck, Sheldon and Mielke.

Brief History:

  Committee Activity:

Natural Resources:  2/19/97, 2/28/97 [DPS].

HOUSE COMMITTEE ON NATURAL RESOURCES

Majority Report:  The substitute bill be substituted therefor and the substitute bill do pass.  Signed by 10 members:  Representatives Buck, Chairman; Sump, Vice Chairman; Regala, Ranking Minority Member; Butler, Assistant Ranking Minority Member; Alexander; Anderson; Chandler; Hatfield; Pennington and Sheldon.

Staff:  Linda Byers (786-7129).

Background:  One chapter of Washington law regulates surface mine reclamation.  A different chapter regulates non-reclamation aspects of metals mining and milling operations.  If a metals mining operation is a surface mine, the operation is regulated under both chapters.

Summary of Substitute Bill:  Provisions from the surface mine reclamation chapter are replicated in the metals mining chapter to address the reclamation of metals mining surface mines.  The existing chapter of law on surface mine reclamation no longer applies to metals mining and milling operations, except to the extent necessary to allow the Department of Natural Resources to collect annual permit fees and use them to administer the reclamation programs.

Substitute Bill Compared to Original Bill:  The substitute bill makes technical corrections to the original bill and provides the mechanism for the collection and expenditure of annual permit fees.

Appropriation:  None.

Fiscal Note:  Not requested.

Effective Date of Substitute Bill:  Ninety days after adjournment of session in which bill is passed.

Testimony For:  This will separate the gravel and metal mine statutes.  The industries support the separation of these statutes.  All interest groups are either on board or neutral.  In the past, changes pursued by one group have had unintended consequences on the other.  The obligations are retained in both chapters.

Testimony Against:  None.

Testified:  Representative Bob Sump, prime sponsor; Mark Triplett, Washington Aggregate & Concrete Association; John Woodring, and Reese Hastings, Northwest Mining Association; and Judy Turpin, Washington Environmental Council (all in favor).