Oregon Administrative Rules › Chapter 632 - DEPARTMENT OF GEOLOGY AND MINERAL INDUSTRIES › Division 37 - CONSOLIDATED PERMITTING OF MINING OPERATIONS › Section 632-037-0010 - Definitions

Current through Register Vol. 63, No. 7, July 1, 2024
The definitions in ORS
				517.952 are hereby incorporated
				as the definitions to be used in interpreting these rules, unless a term is
				specifically defined within these rules.
(1) "Affected Agency" includes permitting
			 agencies, cooperating agencies and commenting agencies.
(2) "Available Technology" means technology
			 that is obtainable and has been demonstrated to meet environmental standards at
			 an existing mine or a demonstration project of similar size and scale, or is
			 reasonably expected to meet or exceed environmental standards at the proposed
			 mine.
(3) "Baseline Data" means
			 information gathered to characterize the natural and cultural environments of a
			 mining operation site before a mining operation begins.
(4) "Chemical Processing" means a processing
			 method for extracting metal from metal bearing ores that uses chemicals to
			 dissolve metals from ore.
(5)
			 "Commenting Agency" means an agency that makes recommendations to the
			 Department or to a permitting agency regarding permit conditions or whether to
			 approve or deny a permit under the consolidated application process established
			 under ORS 517.952 to
			 517.989. Commenting agencies may
			 include but are not limited to the following agencies: Department of Economic
			 Development, Emergency Management Division, Department of Energy, Department of
			 Forestry, Health Division, Department of Land Conservation and Development,
			 Department of Parks and Recreation, Public Utility Commission, Office of the
			 State Fire Marshal, and the Department of Transportation. Commenting agencies
			 may also be permitting and cooperating agencies that wish to comment on a
			 permit issued by another agency.
(6) "Consolidated Application" means the
			 single application required under ORS
			 517.971.
(7) "Cooperating Agency" means an agency that
			 has statutory responsibility related to a mining operation but that does not
			 issue a permit for the mining operation. Cooperating agencies may include but
			 are not limited to the following agencies: Department of Agriculture and
			 Department of Fish and Wildlife.
(8) "Credible Accident" means an unplanned
			 discharge of ore processing solutions, ore processing solution contaminated
			 water, or chemicals from a mine facility into surface water, ground water,
			 soil, overburden, or living resources in sufficient quantity to impair the
			 pre-mine quality of the receiving water, soil, overburden, or living resources,
			 or that would exceed the discharge limitations of the Department of
			 Environmental Quality. A credible accident may also include but is not limited
			 to the following types of accidents: fires, unplanned detonation of explosives,
			 equipment failures, fuel spills and accidents resulting from human errors.
(9) "Department" means the
			 Department of Geology and Mineral Industries.
(10) "Disturbed Area" means any area within a
			 permit area boundary where surface or subsurface resources are impacted as a
			 result of mining, processing or mine facilities.
(11) "Environmental Evaluation" means an
			 analysis prepared under ORS
			 517.979 to address specific
			 impacts of the mining operation, to allow affected agencies to develop permit
			 conditions.
(12) "Environmental
			 Standards" means standards established either by statute or rule that must be
			 met by a mining operation.
(13)
			 "Facilitating Agency" means the Department of Geology and Mineral Industries.
			 The Department shall coordinate the activities of the affected agencies related
			 to the consolidated application process established in ORS
			 517.952 to
			 517.989.
(14) "Gravity Separation" means the
			 separation of mineral particles, with the aid of water or air, according to the
			 differences in the specific gravities of the particles.
(15) "Master List" means a consolidated list
			 of all interested persons compiled by the Department and each permitting and
			 cooperating agency and maintained by the Department.
(16) "Mine Facilities" includes but is not
			 limited to the following:
(a) Leach pads and
			 vats;
(b) Recovery plants and/or
			 mill;
(c) Process solution ponds
			 and/or storage ponds;
(d)
			 Impoundments and diversions;
(e)
			 Tailing disposal facility;
(f)
			 Haul roads;
(g) Open pits;
(h) Related buildings;
(i) Energy facilities at the mine site;
(j) Disposal areas for waste rock
			 and other mining wastes; and
(k)
			 Storage areas for subgrade ore.