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Current as of January 01, 2023 | Updated by FindLaw Staff
(1)(a) Except for an application for a mining operation submitted under ORS 517.910 to 517.989, each applicant for an operating permit under ORS 517.702 to 517.989 shall pay to the State Department of Geology and Mineral Industries a fee established by the State Geologist in an amount not to exceed $1,750.
(b) If an application for a new permit or an amendment to an existing permit requires extraordinary department resources because of concerns about slope stability or proximity to waters of the state or other environmentally sensitive areas, the applicant shall pay to the department an additional fee in an amount determined by the State Geologist to be adequate to cover the additional costs for staff and other related expenses. The State Geologist shall consult with the applicant when determining the amount of the fee.
(2) Annually, each holder of an operating permit shall pay to the department a base fee of $850, plus $0.0095 per ton of aggregate or mineral ore extracted during the previous 12-month period.
(3) If a reclamation plan is changed, the operator may be assessed for staff time and other related costs an amount not to exceed $1,750 in addition to the annual renewal fee. This subsection does not apply to a mining operation that is subject to the fee established by ORS 517.973 (2)(a).
(4) If, at operator request, the department responds to requests for information required by a local government in making a land use planning decision on behalf of the operator for a specific site, the State Geologist may require the operator to pay the department a fee for staff time and related costs. The department shall notify the operator in advance of the estimated costs of providing the information, and the actual amount assessed shall not exceed the estimate provided by the department.
(5) The State Geologist may require the operator of a site to pay to the department a special inspection fee in an amount not to exceed $500 for an inspection conducted under the following circumstances:
(a) Investigation of surface mining operations conducted without the operating permit required under ORS 517.790; or
(b) Investigation of surface mining operations conducted outside the area authorized in an operating permit.
(6) Upon request of an applicant or operator, the department shall provide an itemized list and documentation of expenses used to determine a fee under subsection (1)(b), (3) or (4) of this section.
(7) Notwithstanding the per ton fee established in subsection (2) of this section, the governing board of the department may lower to zero or raise the per ton fee up to $0.0095 if necessary to provide financial certainty to the department or to reflect actual expenses of the department in administering ORS 517.702 to 517.951.
(8) All fees collected by the department under this section shall be deposited in the Mined Land Regulation and Reclamation Program Subaccount within the Geology and Mineral Industries Account. The department shall prepare and submit to the governing board of the State Department of Geology and Mineral Industries an annual report on the financial status of the Mined Land Regulation and Reclamation Program Subaccount.
(9) The governing board of the department:
(a) Shall adopt by rule a procedure for the administrative review of the determinations of fees under this section.
(b) Shall adopt rules establishing the payment date for annual fees required under this section.
(c) May adopt rules establishing a late fee of up to five percent of the unpaid amount of an annual fee owed under this section if the annual fee is more than 60 days past due.
Cite this article: FindLaw.com - Oregon Revised Statutes Mineral Resources § 517.800 - last updated January 01, 2023 | https://codes.findlaw.com/or/title-43-mineral-resources/or-rev-st-sect-517-800/
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