Minnesota Administrative Rules
Agency 158 - Natural Resources Department
Chapter 6130 - FERROUS METALLIC MINERAL MINING
Part 6130.0100 - DEFINITIONS

Subpart 1. Acceptable research.

"Acceptable research" means research that is site related, is reasonably designed for the purpose of demonstrating that the goals contained in part 6130.2000 can be achieved, is no larger than necessary to adequately demonstrate the proposed measures, and includes, for comparison, the standards specified in parts 6130.2400, item A; 6130.2500; 6130.2700, item A; and 6130.2900, item A, which the proposed measures are intended to replace.

Subp. 2. Auxiliary facilities.

"Auxiliary facilities" means all permittee owned stationary physical property used in a mining operation, including: power plants and associated facilities; transmission lines; pipelines; roads; railroads; docks and associated facilities; borrow areas and leased borrow areas and associated facilities; blasting agent and fuel production or preparation facilities; and parking areas, shops, offices, buildings, structures, and storage facilities located within the area where mining is conducted. This does not include common carrier transportation facilities.

Subp. 3. Beneficiating plants.

"Beneficiating plants" means all metallic mineral processing plants, such as crushers, mills, concentrators, agglomerating and sintering facilities, smelters, refineries, and other metal making facilities.

Subp. 4. Commissioner.

"Commissioner" means the commissioner of natural resources, or any duly authorized representative.

Subp. 5. Deactivation.

"Deactivation" means the process of finally terminating and reclaiming any specific portion of a mining operation. Deactivation begins when, as prescribed in the permit to mine, all mining activities and uses have ceased and there will be no renewed use or activity by the permittee.

Subp. 6. Hereafter.

"Hereafter" means after August 25, 1980.

Subp. 7. Mine waste.

"Mine waste" means any material, such as surface overburden, rock, lean ore, or tailings which in the process of mining and beneficiation has been removed from the earth and stored elsewhere on the surface.

Subp. 8. Mining.

"Mining" means the process of removing, stockpiling, processing, storing, transporting (excluding use of common carriers and public transportation systems), and reclaiming any material in connection with the commercial production of metallic minerals. This includes exploration activities such as the taking of large bulk samples.

Subp. 9. Mining area or area subjected to mining.

"Mining area" or "area subjected to mining" means any area of land from which material is hereafter removed in connection with the production or extraction of metallic minerals, the lands upon which material from such mining is hereafter deposited, the lands upon which beneficiation plants and auxiliary facilities are hereafter located, lands upon which the water reservoirs used in the mining process are hereafter located, and auxiliary lands which are hereafter used or intended to be used in a particular mining operation.

Subp. 10. Mining operation.

"Mining operation" means all of a mining project without regard to political, administrative, or ownership boundaries, which includes all of the facilities used in "mining" as defined in subpart 8.

Subp. 11. Natural resources.

"Natural resources" means all mineral, animal, plant, air, water, land, timber, soil, quietude, recreational, historical, scenic, and aesthetic resources.

Subp. 12. Operator.

"Operator" means any owner or lessee of mineral rights engaged in or preparing to engage in a mining operation.

Subp. 13. Permit to mine.

"Permit to mine" means legal approval given by the commissioner to conduct a mining operation or a scram mining operation.

Subp. 14. Reclamation.

"Reclamation" means the successful accomplishment of the goals in parts 6130.1000 to 6130.4100.

Subp. 15. Reference area.

"Reference area" means a vegetated land unit which is designated for comparatively measuring reclamation vegetation success.

Subp. 16. Scram mining operation.

"Scram mining operation" means a mining operation which produces natural iron ore or natural iron ore concentrates as defined by Minnesota Statutes, section 93.20, subdivisions 12 to 17, from previously developed stockpiles, tailings basins, underground mine workings, or open pits, which involves no more than 80 acres of land not previously affected by mining. Greater areas shall be allowed if the operator can demonstrate that impacts would be substantially the same as other scram operations. "Lands not previously affected by mining" means lands upon which mine wastes have not been deposited and lands from which materials have not been removed in connection with the production or extraction of metallic minerals.

Subp. 17. Stockpile.

"Stockpile" means an accumulation of mine waste. It does not include tailings basins, fossil fuel, finished product, or surge piles.