Digital News Report – Refund legislation authored by Senator Sam Aanestad (R-Grass Valley) passed its first key committee test today in the Senate Committee on Natural Resources and Water. SB 889 will allow Suction Dredge Miners to request a refund of suction dredge mining permits that were purchased from the California Department of Fish and Game (DFG) in 2009.
Senator Aanestad says the refund legislation represents an issue of fairness. Thousands of miners followed the letter of the law by purchasing permits in 2009 that would allow them to practice suction dredge mining – a practice that was later banned during the same year by the State Legislature.
“The miners requesting these refunds should not be blamed for the legislative action that essentially pulled the rug out from underneath their industry,” said Senator Aanestad following today’s committee hearing. “I’d like to thank committee members for understanding that these miners paid for a full year of mining activities and they didn’t get it. They deserve a full refund. SB 889 clears the path toward a full refund.”
According to statistics from the DFG website, nearly 4,000 suction dredge mining permits were purchased in 2009. More than 3,000 of the permits were purchased by California residents alone. The cost of a permit for California residents is $47.50, and for out of state miners the permit fee is $186.75. In 2009, the Department collected about $250,000 from miners who were subsequently denied the right to mine.
The ban on suction dredge mining took place in early August, following the successful passage of SB 670. It had an immediate impact on Senator Aanestad’s Northern California District.
“The busy season for suction dredge mining in California runs between the key months of May through October,” said Senator Aanestad. “When the State Legislature banned this activity, the miners vanished. They didn’t buy fuel in Northern California. They didn’t buy food. They didn’t stay in local hotels. They didn’t rent equipment. The loss of this one industry represented a $60 million hit to the Northern California economy and lost jobs.”
The Senate Natural Resources Committee also took action today to pass a related measure authored by Senator Aanestad – SB 1103. This measure addresses the fee inequity that exists between surface mining operations that are classified as “active” and others classified as “idle.”
“All ‘active’ and ‘idle’ mines in California are charged an annual fee that ranges from $3400 to $4700,” said Senator Aanestad. “However, current law states that active mines that produce less than $100,000 can apply for a ‘low gross exemption’ from this fee, but idle mines cannot. SB 1103 corrects this inequity.”
We own 1760 acres up in the Butte Valley in Siskiyou County, where the Timberhitch Quarry CA Mine ID # 91-47-0055 is located,it has been idle for many many years and the owner has pretty much used the quarry as a junk storage yard. We bought the property in 2006 and found the quarry owner/operator was out of compliance with county and state laws. We brought this to the attention of Siskiyou County Public Health & Community Development. Since then we have experienced a long roller coaster ride that has continued over the next 2 1/2 years where the county and state have went through their procedures of getting the mine reclaimed but it has taken along time and the mine owner/operator is doing what he wants with very little or no supervision from the county or state. Us, the land owners have had very little say on what goes on on our own property. The owner/operator does not even have insurance on the quarry leaving the land owner to be held responsible of the mine. Once the mine owner/operator got into litigation with the county the best thing for the mine operator because no agency will respond because the case is in litigation, leaving the land owner to set and wait. We use to be kept updated on progress from the county but, now we became left out of the loop. Have you ever seen these mines? I have hundreds of pictures of the Timberhitch Mine when we purchased the property that I would love to show you. I would like to see something in your present Bill 1103 to protect the land owner from a disaster from a mine operator to force these mine operators to carry insurance that protect the land owner from the mine owners disaster. I have lived in California my whole life and I have always carried insurance on my cars,properties,company to find out that the mine owner/operator has no insurance, has never had insurance that we know of,and has no assets in California and lives out of state.Our situation is being the land owner and the McMillan Family owning the mineral rights which they have to pay us royalties to take the minerals. I would love to share our roller coaster ride with you over the last 3 years.
Sincerely,
Jim Williamson
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