Information Reports (IR)
SMGB IR 2007-01
Report on SMARA Lead Agency Performance Regarding Mine Reclamation -- Testa, Stephen M. & Beeby, David J.
In 2006 the State Mining and Geology Board performed a review of overall SMARA lead agency performance using the Department of Conservation Office of Mine Reclamation SMARA database. This information report presents an evaluation of the lead agency’s performance of periodic mine inspections, adjustment of annual financial assurances and enforcement of the preparation of Interim Management Plans should a surface mine site be characterized as idle for a period exceeding one year.
SMGB IR 2007-02
Report on Backfilling of Open-Pit Metallic Mines in California -- Testa, Stephen M. & Pompy, James S.
In 2003, the State Mining and Geology Board evaluated reclamation of open-pit metallic mines in the state. With few exceptions, it was determined that open pits were not being reclaimed, despite California’s Surface Mining and Reclamation Act of 1975 (SMARA) that went into effect in 1976, and regulations were passed requiring backfilling of new open-pit metallic surface mines. This information report presents an evaluation of reclamation efforts for select open-pit metallic mines throughout the state.
SMGB IR 2007-03
A Review of the State’s Mineral Resources Management Program and its Components - Status and Effectiveness of Review Efforts -- Testa, Stephen M. & Beeby, David J.
Within the SMARA Mineral Resources Management Program are many functions, including policy development, regulation and guideline development, appeals, mine reclamation, mineral land classification and designation, and lead agency document review. This last function is the subject of this information report, and includes discussion of the overall status and effectiveness of the review process as it pertains to mining ordinances, Mineral Resources Management Policies (MRMP) and documents required pursuant to the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA).
SMGB IR 2007-04
A Comparison of Regulatory Surface Mining Programs in the Western States -- Beeby, David J.
In 2003, a comparative study was performed of regulatory surface mining programs in thirteen Western States as compared with California’s regulatory program under the Surface Mining and Reclamation Act of 1975 (SMARA). The survey consisted of four parts: 1) a review of the “Non-coal Mineral Resources Questionnaire and Report” developed by the Interstate Mining Compact omission (IMCC), 2) a review of the United States Bureau of Land Management 1999 Environmental Impact Statement titled “Surface Management Regulations for Locatable Mineral Operations (43 CFR-3809), 3) a survey of websites of western states and 4) a review of the most recent results of the Fraser Institute Surveys of Mining Companies.
SUMMARY TABLES
Mining Ordinances
The Surface Mining and Reclamation Act of 1975 (SMARA) requires that all lead agencies that have surface mining operations within their jurisdiction have adopted ordinances in accordance with state policy. The ordinance establishes procedures for the review and approval of reclamation plans and financial assurances, and the issuance of a permit to conduct surface mining operations. The summary table is a listing, by lead agency, of all SMARA Mining Ordinances within the State of California. It lists the specific ordinance number and its date of enactment, as well as the State Mining and Geology Board’s (SMGB) Resolution recognizing the ordinance. Some ordinances closely follow the SMGB’s Model Ordinance. Others have been modified by the lead agency to meet local needs. All, however, are consistent with the intention, as well as the specific requirements, of SMARA. This listing will be helpful to new SMARA lead agencies as they craft their own ordinances, or to current lead agencies whose ordinance may be out-of-date and need modification. The ultimate goal for the list is to convert each listing to a live link to a digital copy of each ordinance, and to follow that with a parallel listing of the Mineral Resources Management Policies from each lead agency. If, after reviewing this list, you discover your listing to be out of date, please contact the SMGB at (916) 322-1082.
MAPS
Aggregate Resources in the Los Angeles Metropolitan Area by David J. Beeby, Russell V. Miller, Robert L. Hill and Robert E. Grunwald
The classification of aggregate resources in the three-county area of Los Angeles, Orange, and Ventura, was followed by a "designation" process by the State Mining and Geology Board that formally recognized significant deposits that could provide for future needs. Maps and descriptions of the deposits were placed in the California Public Resources Code and officially transmitted to those county and city governments having decision-making authority over the use of those lands. Those areas are shown on the map in red. To maximize land-use options for local governments, designated areas contain aggregate resources in excess of the region's 50-year need. Since the designation of the aggregate resource areas in the 1980s, about 6 percent of those resources have been covered by urbanization.
DESIGNATION REPORTS
Designation is the process by which the SMGB determines that a particular classified mineral deposit is of regional, multi-community, or statewide economic significance. This process is facilitated through analyses by the State Geologist and the California Geological Survey, and information gathered from local communities, the mining industry, and other governmental agencies, such as the Governor’s Office of Planning and Research. The purpose of Designation is to identify those areas that are of prime importance in meeting future needs of the study region and that remain available from a land use perspective.
The objectives of these processes are to provide local agency decision makers with information on the location, need, and importance of mineral resources within their jurisdiction, and to require that this information be considered in local land use planning decisions. These objectives are met through the adoption of local Mineral Resource Management Policies that provide for the conservation and prudent development of these mineral deposits.
One of the first mineral commodities selected by the SMGB for classification by the State Geologist was construction grade aggregates, such as sand, gravel, and crushed rock. The importance of construction aggregate is often overlooked, even though it is an essential commodity in today’s society. Aggregate is a key component in products such as portland cement concrete, asphaltic concrete (macadam), railroad ballast, stucco, road base, and fill materials.
California’s construction industry is greatly dependent on readily available aggregate deposits that are within a reasonable distance to market regions. Aggregate is a low unit-value, high bulk-weight commodity; therefore, aggregate for construction must be obtained from nearby sources in order to minimize costs to the consumer. If nearby aggregate sources do not exist, then transportation costs quickly can exceed the value of the aggregate. Transportation cost is one of the most important factors considered when defining the market area for an aggregate mine operation.
Prior to 1991, the SMGB designated 15 areas within the state, encompassing 259,585 acres, as having regionally significant economic mineral resources. Designation stopped when the costs of complying with requirements of the California Environmental Quality Act became prohibitive, and agency budgets were being reduced because of the “California economic recession” of the early 1990’s. Since that time, no additional areas have received mineral Designation status from the SMGB.
Designation is an effort to conserve mineral resources in regions of expected rapid urbanization or other land uses that might prevent surface mining activities, and therefore result in a loss of the mineral resource to the community. To avoid dictating to local communities where future aggregate mines should be located, mineral designated areas generally contain resources (un-permitted deposits) that are far in excess of the region’s 50-year demand. This attempts to provide maximum flexibility to local governments in making land use decisions, while still conserving an adequate amount of construction aggregate for the future.
A summary of Designation reports published under the direction of the SMGB are presented in Table 1, with respective links to the Final Environmental Impact Report, Designation Report and associated maps.
ANNUAL REPORTS
1999-2000 Annual Report
1998-1999 Annual Report
1990-1991 Annual Report
1989-1990 Annual Report
1988 Annual Report
1987 Annual Report
1986 Annual Report
1985 Annual Report
1984 Annual Report
1983 Annual Report
1982 Annual Report
1981 Annual Report
1980 Annual Report
1979 Annual Report
1978 Annual Report
1977 Annual Report
1976 Annual Report
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