(1)(a) Except for an application for a chemical process mining operation submitted under ORS 517.952 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 $1,260.
(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 $635, plus $0.0075 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 $1,260 in addition to the annual renewal fee.
(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 $200 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 $0.0085 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. If the per ton fee established in subsection (2) of this section is raised by the governing board, the additional amount of money collected by the department shall be deposited in the Mined Land Regulation and Reclamation Program Subaccount within the Geology and Mineral Industries Account.
(8) The governing board of the State Department of Geology and Mineral Industries:
(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. [1971 c.719 §7; 1973 c.709 §3; 1977 c.524 §2; 1979 c.435 §2; 1981 c.274 §1; 1983 c.88 §1; 1985 c.292 §8; 1987 c.598 §1; 1989 c.346 §1; 1991 c.735 §28; 1993 c.399 §1; 1995 c.79 §297; 1997 c.62 §1; 1999 c.353 §4; 2003 c.520 §1; 2005 c.650 §§1,1a; 2007 c.318 §16]
Section: Previous 517.760 517.770 517.775 517.780 517.785 517.790 517.795 517.800 517.810 517.815 517.820 517.830 517.831 517.832 517.833 NextLast modified: August 7, 2008