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Show Mining Law Changes Set for Review In Moab Meeting Proposed changes in mining regulations regula-tions will be discussed at a public meeting to be conducted by the Bureau of Land Management at the Grand County Coun-ty Courthouse, Moab on Friday, Jan. 21. The meeting will start at 2:30 p.m. According to Paul L. Howard, BLM Utah state director, the public comment period on these proposed regulations was recently extended by BLM to February 5. The proposed changes -which would greatly reduce potential environmental damage from mining operations of federal land - merit broad public participation and input, added Mr. Howard. The proposed regulations would require re-quire mining operators to avoid, minimize, mini-mize, or correct damage to the environment. environ-ment. They also would require BLM approval of a plan of operations before any mining operations are commenced that would cause significant disturbance. Research of archaeological and other cultural values in the planned mining area would have to be conducted, and mining would not be permitted until avoidance, salvage, or other appropriate measures were taken to preserve these values. The proposed regulations would modify mod-ify procedures in effect under the mining law of 1872, which apply to locatable minerals but not to coal, phosphate, potash or oil shale. Bonding requirements also are outlined out-lined in the proposed regulations with the amount based on estimated costs of stabilizing, rehabilitating, and reclaiming reclaim-ing areas that would be disturbed. Complete text of the proposed mining regulations appeared in the Federal Register on December 6, 1976. Interested Interes-ted individuals or organizations are invited to submit comments, suggestions, suggest-ions, or objections to the Director (210), Bureau of Land Management, Washington, Washing-ton, D. C. 20240 before February 5, 1977. |