ORS 517.750
Definitions for ORS 517.702 to 517.989


As used in ORS 517.702 (Legislative findings) to 517.989 (Rules applicable to consolidated application), unless the context requires otherwise:

(1)

“Board” means the governing board of the State Department of Geology and Mineral Industries.

(2)

“Completion” means termination of surface mining activities including reclamation of the surface-mined land in accordance with the approved reclamation plan and operating permit.

(3)

“Cooperating agency” means the State Department of Agriculture, the State Department of Fish and Wildlife or any agency that has statutory responsibility related to a mining operation but that does not issue a permit for the mining operation.

(4)

“Department” means the State Department of Geology and Mineral Industries.

(5)

“Exploration” means all activities conducted on or beneath the surface of the earth for the purpose of determining presence, location, extent, grade or economic viability of a deposit. “Exploration” does not include prospecting or chemical processing of minerals.

(6)

“Explorer” means a person that is engaged in exploration.

(7)

“Landowner” means:

(a)

The person possessing fee title to the natural mineral deposit being surface mined or explored; and

(b)

The owner of an equitable interest in land that is subject to a deed of trust.

(8)

“Minerals” includes soil, coal, clay, stone, sand, gravel, metallic ore and any other solid material or substance excavated for commercial, industrial or construction use from natural deposits situated within or upon lands in this state.

(9)

“Operator” means any individual, public or private corporation, political subdivision, agency, board or department of this state, any municipality, partnership, association, firm, trust, estate or any other legal entity whatsoever that is engaged in surface mining operations.

(10)

“Overburden” means the soil, rock and similar materials that lie above natural deposits of minerals.

(11)

“Person” means any person, any federal agency or any public body, as defined in ORS 174.109 (“Public body” defined).

(12)

“Processing” includes, but is not limited to, crushing, washing, milling and screening as well as the batching and blending of mineral aggregate into asphalt and portland cement concrete located within the operating permit area.

(13)

“Reclamation” means the employment in a surface mining operation or exploration of procedures reasonably designed to:

(a)

Minimize, as much as practicable, the adverse effects of the surface mining operation or exploration on land, air and water resources; and

(b)

Provide for the rehabilitation of surface resources adversely affected by the surface mining operations or exploration through the rehabilitation of plant cover, soil stability and water resources and through other measures that contribute to the subsequent beneficial use of the explored, mined or reclaimed lands.

(14)

“Reclamation plan” means a written proposal, submitted to the department as required by ORS 517.702 (Legislative findings) to 517.989 (Rules applicable to consolidated application) and subsequently approved by the department as provided in ORS 517.702 (Legislative findings) to 517.989 (Rules applicable to consolidated application), for the reclamation of the land area adversely affected by a surface mining operation or exploration and including, but not limited to the following information:

(a)

Proposed measures to be undertaken by the operator in protecting the natural resources of adjacent lands.

(b)

Proposed measures for the rehabilitation of the explored or surface-mined lands and the procedures to be applied.

(c)

The procedures to be applied in the surface mining operation or exploration to control the discharge of contaminants and the disposal of surface mining refuse.

(d)

The procedures to be applied in the surface mining operation or exploration in the rehabilitation of affected stream channels and stream banks to a condition minimizing erosion, sedimentation and other factors of pollution.

(e)

The map required by ORS 517.790 (Operating permit required for surface mining on certain lands) (1)(e) and such other maps and supporting documents as may be requested by the department.

(f)

A proposed time schedule for the completion of reclamation operations.

(g)

Requirements of the exploration permit.

(15)

“Surface impacts of underground mining” means all waste materials produced by underground mining and placed upon the surface including, but not limited to, waste dumps, mill tailings, washing plant fines and all surface subsidence related to underground mining.

(16)

Intentionally left blank —Ed.

(a)

“Surface mining” includes:

(A)

All or any part of the process of mining minerals by the removal of overburden and the extraction of natural mineral deposits thereby exposed by any method by which more than 5,000 cubic yards of minerals are extracted or by which at least one acre of land is affected within a period of 12 consecutive calendar months, including open-pit mining operations, auger mining operations, processing, surface impacts of underground mining, production of surface mining refuse and the construction of adjacent or off-site borrow pits, except those constructed for use as access roads.

(B)

Removal or filling, or both, within the beds or banks of any waters of this state that is the subject of a memorandum of agreement between the Department of State Lands and the State Department of Geology and Mineral Industries in which the State Department of Geology and Mineral Industries is assigned sole responsibility for permitting as described in ORS 517.797 (Memorandum of agreement with Department of State Lands regarding permitting).

(b)

“Surface mining” does not include:

(A)

Excavations of sand, gravel, clay, rock or other similar materials conducted by the landowner or tenant for the primary purpose of construction, reconstruction or maintenance of access roads on the same parcel or on an adjacent parcel that is under the same ownership as the parcel that is being excavated;

(B)

Excavation or grading operations, reasonably necessary for farming;

(C)

Nonsurface effects of underground mining;

(D)

Removal of rock, gravel, sand, silt or other similar substances removed from the beds or banks of any waters of this state pursuant to a permit issued under ORS 196.800 (Definitions for ORS 196.600 to 196.921) to 196.900 (Schedule of civil penalties);

(E)

Excavations or reprocessing of aggregate material, or grading operations, within the highway right of way reasonably necessary for the construction, reconstruction or maintenance of a highway as defined in ORS 801.305 (“Highway.”);

(F)

Excavation or movement of materials on site at a landfill, as defined in ORS 459.005 (Definitions for ORS 459.005 to 459.437, 459.705 to 459.790 and 459A.005 to 459A.665), for the primary purpose of construction, reconstruction or maintenance of access roads or for landfill operations, including but not limited to landfill cell construction and daily, interim and final cover operations, if the excavation or movement of materials is covered by a permit issued by the Department of Environmental Quality under ORS 459.205 (Permit required) to 459.385 (Entry upon private premises authorized);

(G)

Excavation or grading operations necessary for construction and maintenance of utilities or drainage facilities, where the excavated material is used on site and is not sold into the commercial market as aggregate material; or

(H)

Excavation or grading operations that:
(i)
Are associated with on-site construction activities; and
(ii)
Do not result in any excavated materials being sold into the commercial market.

(17)

“Surface mining refuse” means all waste materials, soil, rock, mineral, liquid, vegetation and other materials resulting from or displaced by surface mining operations within the operating permit area, including all waste materials deposited in or upon lands within the operating permit area.

(18)

“Underground mining” means all human-made excavations below the surface of the ground through shafts or adits for the purpose of exploring for, developing or producing valuable minerals. [1971 c.719 §2; 1975 c.724 §1; 1977 c.59 §1; 1981 c.622 §1; 1983 c.46 §1; 1985 c.292 §2; 1989 c.347 §12; 1999 c.353 §2; 2007 c.318 §5; 2009 c.279 §1; 2011 c.406 §2; 2017 c.736 §2; 2017 c.743 §1; 2019 c.502 §1]

Source: Section 517.750 — Definitions for ORS 517.702 to 517.989, https://www.­oregonlegislature.­gov/bills_laws/ors/ors517.­html.

Attorney General Opinions

State’s authority to prevent or control removal by dredging of a privately owned island in a navigable river, (1972) Vol 36, p 285; surface mining, defined, (1973) Vol 36, p 742; Highway Division as “operator,” (1975) Vol 37, p 694

517.005
Legislative findings
517.010
Location of mining claims upon veins or lodes
517.030
Recording copy of location notice
517.040
Abandoned claims
517.042
“Legal subdivision” defined for ORS 517.042 to 517.052
517.044
Location of claims upon placer deposits
517.046
Marking boundaries of claim or locating by legal subdivisions
517.052
Recording copy of location notice
517.060
Correcting defective notice of location
517.065
Effect of noncompliance with law in locating claim
517.070
Certain locations subject to prior rights
517.080
Mining claims as realty
517.090
Application to claims of law governing transfers and mortgages of realty
517.100
Sums payable on redemption of claim
517.110
Grubstaking contracts
517.120
Definitions for ORS 517.120 to 517.133
517.123
Legislative findings
517.125
Rules to be adopted in consultation with affected parties
517.128
Restricting access to open mining area or mining claim prohibited
517.130
Mineral trespass
517.133
Interfering with a mining operation
517.135
Exemption from crimes of mineral trespass and interfering with a mining operation
517.140
Legislative findings
517.160
Location of nonmineral land as millsite
517.170
Policy
517.180
Procedure for extinguishing dormant mineral interest
517.210
Recording affidavit of annual compliance
517.220
Affidavit or lack thereof as evidence
517.230
Performance of assessment work by co-owners
517.240
Failure of co-owner to contribute
517.250
Form of notice
517.260
Notice
517.270
Vesting of interest of delinquent co-owner
517.280
Certificate of ownership
517.290
Fee for certificate
517.300
Effect of certificate
517.310
Recording and indexing certificate
517.320
Counteraffidavits of delinquent owner
517.330
Accounting for fees
517.430
Use of timber by lessee
517.440
Lessee, licensee, or operator of mine deemed bailee of yield until payment of lessor and workers
517.702
Legislative findings
517.705
Exploration permit
517.710
Fees
517.715
Exemptions from permit requirement
517.720
Persons with operating permit exempted
517.725
Department inspection of exploration site
517.730
Drill hole or well abandonment
517.735
Exploration on land administered by Department of State Lands
517.740
Rules
517.750
Definitions for ORS 517.702 to 517.989
517.753
Exclusion certificate required for certain small-scale surface mining operations
517.755
Mining operations affecting more than five acres
517.760
Policy
517.770
Exemptions from reclamation requirements
517.775
Permit fee for certain landowners and operators
517.780
Effect on county zoning laws or ordinances
517.790
Operating permit required for surface mining on certain lands
517.795
Department to consult with and cooperate with other agencies
517.797
Memorandum of agreement with Department of State Lands regarding permitting
517.800
Fees
517.810
Requirement for bond or security
517.813
Reclamation Guarantee Fund
517.815
Reclamation bond pooling program
517.820
Extensions of time for submission of proposed reclamation plans
517.825
Mining aggregate on high-value farmland
517.830
Operating permit approval process
517.831
Modification of operating permit or reclamation plan
517.832
Emergency operating permit
517.833
Transfer of operating permit
517.834
Temporary operating permit
517.835
Conditions on operating permit or reclamation plan to prevent impact on ground water
517.836
Surveying or marking surface mining operations
517.837
Annual report by permittee
517.840
Administration and enforcement of ORS 517.702 to 517.989
517.850
Inspection of permit area
517.855
Disruption of portion of mining property preserved from mining
517.860
Effect of failure to comply with operating permit or reclamation plan
517.862
Revocation, termination or refusal to renew operating permit
517.865
Effect of failure to perform reclamation and insufficient bond
517.870
Adjustment of bond or security of operator upon satisfactory completion of reclamation work
517.880
Order for suspension of surface mining operation operating without required permit
517.890
Review of final determination
517.901
Confidentiality of production records, mineral assessments and trade secrets
517.905
Applicability of ORS 517.910 to 517.989 and 517.910 to 517.951
517.910
Definitions for ORS 517.910 to 517.989
517.915
Additional operating permit requirements for nonaggregate mineral mines
517.917
Activation of project coordinating committee
517.920
Permit application fees under ORS 517.910 to 517.989
517.925
Time limit for action on permit application
517.930
Department inspection
517.951
Legislative intent not to assume exclusive jurisdiction
517.952
Definitions for ORS 517.952 to 517.989
517.953
Policy
517.954
Application of ORS 517.952 to 517.989
517.956
Requirements for mining operations
517.957
Department coordination of activities of affected agencies
517.958
Compliance with preapplication process
517.959
Public notice requirements for ORS 517.952 to 517.989
517.961
Notice of intent to submit application
517.963
Department duties upon receipt of notice of intent
517.965
Project coordinating committee
517.967
Technical review team
517.969
Collection of baseline data
517.971
Consolidated application
517.973
Fees
517.975
Distribution of completed consolidated application
517.977
Preparation of draft permits
517.978
Review of application
517.979
Environmental evaluation
517.980
Socioeconomic impact analysis
517.981
Draft permit and permit conditions
517.982
Final permits
517.983
Consolidated contested case hearing
517.984
Modification of permit
517.985
Rulemaking
517.986
Time limit for final action on permit subject to consolidated application process
517.987
Reclamation bond or security
517.988
Permit conditions by State Department of Fish and Wildlife
517.989
Rules applicable to consolidated application
517.990
Criminal penalties
517.992
Civil penalties
Green check means up to date. Up to date