EASTERN OREGON
MINING ASSOCIATION
NOVEMBER 2021
Volume 386
NOVEMBER 5th, 2021 MEETING AT ELK CREEK ENTERPRISES
Many thanks to Alice Knapp for letting us continue to meet at the saw shop while City Hall is not available for meetings. We will have a meeting on NOVEMBER 5th, 2021 at the Elk Creek Enterprises saw shop located at 890 Elm Street. The Board Meeting will begin at 6:00PM with the general meeting following at 6:30PM. Don’t forget, we will give away a $50 dollar silver medallion at the end of the meeting. Come to the meeting, buy a ticket, and support EOMA.
PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE- MORE ON THE RIVER DEMOCRACY ACT
It seems that much of Oregon has become aware of this seriously flawed piece of legislation, and are pretty upset over the nominations submitted by Senator Wyden for his Rivers Democracy Act. Many thanks to Baker County’s Bill Harvey for engaging other Counties in protesting this legislation. There has been no local co-ordination for the segments nominated in Baker County.
There is no readable map, there is no documentation of the outstanding values that would make each segment qualify for inclusion in the Wild and Scenic Rivers Act. It is obvious, that once segments are included with mile wide buffers, Wyden will go back and enlarge the existing wild and scenic rivers with ½ mile wide buffers, and make them also a mile wide per river mile.
This legislation is hopefully going nowhere. Currently the bill is in the U.S. Senate committee for Energy and natural resources, sub-committee on national parks. It had one hearing on June 23, 2021. Everyone needs to write a letter to Sen Wyden and the members of the committee. Remind them that mineral rights are private property, and withdrawing three million acres from future mineral development is not good policy for Oregon, nor for the National need for minerals.
https://trackbill.com/committee/us-congress-senate-subcommittee-on-national-parks/787-404/
POWDER MINING PROJECTS EIS STILL ON HOLD
Absolutely nothing has happened. The Forest Service is sitting on this EIS and may have to republish in the National Register. The reason for this delay is the Biden Administration wants to be certain each EIS covers a project that is analyzed correctly. If miners remember, we consistently protested the use of an EIS means there are effects that cannot be mitigated, which is completely untrue of the small-scale mining operations where reclamation takes place concurrent with the mining. The Forest Service’s reply was that “an EIS is defensible in court”. Well, all the EIS has done for Powder River watershed miners, is hold them up indefinitely.
When the EIS finally gets signed, miners need to be aware that problems with the document can no longer be appealed. The appeals process has been replaced by an Objection period (36 CFR 218). The EIS, when complete will go out for a 45-day comment period. Anyone who comments during scoping or during the EIS review has the ability to Object during the 45-day mandatory objection period. The Forest can take up to 45 days (at the supervisor's level) to negotiate/solve the Objection. Once the Forest has completed this process their decision becomes final. The only option an objector has after this is to sue the government. This does not necessarily mean the project cannot move forward. A stay on the decision would have to be made.
The BLM 43 CFR 3809 regulations are different. The Decision can be appealed but can only not move forward if a stay is put in place.
AMERICAN EXPLORATION & MINING 2021 ANNUAL MEETING SHORT COURSES
American Exploration & Mining Association’s 2021 Annual Meeting Short Course Program
December 5, 6 & 7, 2021, and Convention which ends Dec 10 will be held at the Nugget Casino Resort, Sparks, Nevada. Full course descriptions, course organizer pictures and bios are included in the Annual Meeting brochure that is posted on the AEMA website.
BLM LOCATION FEES FOR 2021-2022
Claim Type DOCUMENT NEEDED DATE DUE
Lode Claims, Mill & Tunnel Sites Notice of Location Within 90 calendar days after the date of claim location
Processing Fee – $20
Location Fee – $40
Maintenance Fee – $165
Total Per Claim Fee – $225 for a 20 acre claim
If you have 10 or fewer claims you may be eligible for the small miner's waiver. The fees are the same for the annual small miner filing $15 per claim no matter what size it is as long as you complete $100 worth of work on each claim.
US COAL USE IS REBOUNDING UNDER BIDEN- Bloomberg News Will Wade, with assistance from Jennifer A Dlouhy
US coal use is rebounding under Biden like it never did with Trump. Donald Trump vowed to revive the coal industry, but it’s President Joe Biden who’s seeing a big comeback of the dirtiest fossil fuel.
U.S. power plants are on track to burn 23% more coal this year, the first increase since 2013, despite Biden’s ambitious plan to eliminate carbon emissions from the power grid. The rebound comes after consumption by utilities plunged 36% under Trump, who slashed environmental regulations in an unsuccessful effort to boost the fuel. That’s going to increase emissions at a time when Biden and other world leaders prepare to gather in Scotland in a few weeks, hoping to reach a deal on curbing fossil fuels in a last-ditch effort to save the world from climate change. The boom is being driven by surging natural gas prices and a global energy crisis that’s forcing countries to burn dirtier fuels to keep up with demand. It’s also a stark reminder that government policy can steer energy markets, but it can’t control them.
“Over the short term, the market will always dominate,” said Jeremy Fisher, senior adviser for the Sierra Club’s environmental law program. As the world emerges from the coronavirus pandemic, reopening economies are driving a huge rebound for power demand. But natural gas is in short supply, creating shortfalls at a time when wind and hydro have been unreliable in some regions. Europe and Asia have been hit the worst, with skyrocketing markets, blackouts in places like India, power shortages in China and the threat of outages in other countries. Energy prices are also soaring in the U.S., though not to the same extremes. The situation is driving up coal demand around the world, and in the U.S., utilities are cranking up aging power plants and miners are digging up as much as they can. The shift means that coal will supply about 24% of U.S. electricity this year, after falling to 20% in 2020, an historic low after years of efforts to push utilities toward clean power and amid cheap natural gas supplies. That resurgence may look even more extreme when the Energy Department releases its latest monthly report.
“The markets have spoken,” said Rich Nolan, chief executive officer of the National Mining Association. “We’re seeing the essential nature of coal come roaring back”. In 2021, the U.S. utilities are poised to burn 536.9 million short tons of coal, up from 436.5 million in 2020, the Energy Information Administration forecasts. Coal from the central Appalachia region has climbed 39% since the start of the year to $75.50 a ton, the highest since May 2019. Prices in other regions are lower, but also on the rise.
Demand for coal will likely remain strong into next year, said Ernie Thrasher, CEO of Xcoal Energy & Resources, the biggest U.S. exporter of the fuel. Supply is already constrained, and Thrasher said he’s hearing some utilities express concern that they may face fuel shortages over the next several months as colder weather pushes energy demand higher to heat homes.
COAL ASH AND RARE EARTH METALS-Mining.com
In a media brief, the team behind the discovery described a new process that involves using a supercritical carbon dioxide solvent and citric acid as the carrier for rare-earth metals so they separate from coal ash, the host material.
New research led by Sandia National Laboratories found that citric acid, a harmless food-grade solvent, can be used to extract highly sought-after rare-earth metals from coal ash. In a media brief, the team behind the discovery described a new process that involves using a supercritical carbon dioxide solvent and citric acid as the carrier for rare-earth metals so they separate from coal ash, the host material.
In a controlled setting, the group found that in less than a day, at 70 degrees Celsius and 1,100 pounds per square inch pressure (about 70 times ordinary atmospheric pressure), the method extracted 42% of rare-earth metals present in coal waste samples. “This technique not only recovers rare-earth metals in an environmentally harmless manner but would actually improve environments by reducing the toxicity of coal waste dotting America,” Guangping Xu, lead Sandia researcher on the project, said in a media release.
Sandia technology can be used for extracting rare-earth elements and other critical metals from coal ash, but it also can be used as a coal cleanser to remove toxic materials and sulfur. (Graphic by Guangping Xu, courtesy of Sandia National Laboratories). Guangping pointed out that the most common acids used as chemical separators in mining — nitric, sulfuric or phosphoric acids — also are able to extract rare-earth metals from coal ash but produce large amounts of acid waste, thus causing severe environmental damage. “Harmless extraction of rare-earth metals from coal ash not only provides a national source of materials essential for computer chips, smartphones and other high-tech products — including fighter jets and submarines — but also make the coal ash cleaner and less toxic, enabling its direct reuse as concrete filler or agricultural topsoil,” he said.
In Guangping’s view, the method, if widely adopted, could turn coal ash from an environmental pariah into a commercially viable product.
HOW TO FILE YOUR BLM DOCUMENTS AND PAY YOUR FEES
Claimants (except for claims and sites in Alaska) may file documents other than maintenance fee waivers, and pay their annual maintenance fee as well as processing fees for other documents online through the Mineral & Land Records System (MLRS).
This site is available 24 hours a day. MLRS provides the ability to file new claims and sites online, and file documents such as amendments, transfers of interest, affidavits of assessment work and notices of intent to hold. When you have entered the new claims or sites for which you wish to pay, or the claim/site actions you wish to file, MLRS then transfers the action to Pay.gov for secure payment.
WESTERN CONSERVATION ALTERNATIVE TO BIDEN’S 30x30
Conservation is synonymous with our western ethos. Westerners take pride in managing our lands,
waters, and natural resources for the betterment of the environment, wildlife, surrounding
communities, and current and future generations.
The Biden Administration has proposed placing at least 30% of our lands and waters in conservation status by 2030. While the Administration has since tried to rename this effort the America the Beautiful initiative, the issue remains that the ambiguous “conservation status” has yet to be defined, and even if it were to be defined, it is clear the Administration does not know what percentage of lands and waters are currently meeting this status. Furthermore, according to the U.S. Geological Survey, over 30% of our federal lands already have permanent protection from conversion and a mandated management plan to maintain a primarily natural state. These factors combined make the America the Beautiful initiative ring hollow.
The Senate and Congressional Western Caucuses are concerned with the initiative to place 30%
of our lands and waters in conservation status – not because we oppose conservation, but
because our western heritage and conservation principles can and should be applied to 100% of
our public lands and waters. We propose a holistic approach to conservation based on restoring
healthy and resilient landscapes versus yet-to-be defined land statuses. These western conservation principles are based on collaborative, innovative, and time-tested approaches that leverage local expertise, creative tools, and dedicated partners to achieve wellbalanced, tangible outcomes. These principles are rooted deep in western values with successes that manifest in multiple-state sage-grouse strategies and plans, the recovery of wildlife species like the gray wolf, land management planning process, and innumerous other locally-led success stories. It is in thembest interest of our environment, wildlife, and rural economies to maintain this conservation mindset when facing all natural resource planning and decision-making.
We propose an alternative approach to the Biden Administration’s America the Beautiful
initiative based on these principles and values. Our proposal is a holistic, outcome-based approach and relies upon objective land health standards to be achieved through leveraging existing tools, resources, and partnerships and the collaboration of a diverse set of stakeholders. It recognizes the complexities and challenges of working together to achieve meaningful and measurable results.
The Senate and Congressional Western Caucuses believe conservation is a conservative principle, but it is unwise to pursue on state and private land what we have failed to carry out on the land we own. We must focus on the vast restoration and management needs of our public lands and waters instead. Furthermore, the Senate and Congressional Western Caucuses strongly support private property rights and believe there’s evidence these lands thrive best unfettered by federal bureaucracy.
BAYHORSE SILVER-Northern Miner
Bayhorse Silver is the 100% owner of the past-producing Bayhorse silver mine 14 km from Huntington, Oregon in the United States. The company spent US$7.5 million to return it to production in 2018 and the company poured its first silver bar in February 2019. Because there is no mill on the site, the operation has a small environmental footprint. The property has a known mineralized zone that was historically estimated to be 255 metres long, 25 metres wide, and 6.7 metres thick. It was previously estimated (not 43-101 compliant) to contain 150,000 tonnes of mineralization grading 585 to 690 grams silver per tonne, including a 30,000-tonne zone of rhyolite that has returned grades as high as 10,793 grams silver per tonne.
Bayhorse has opened up a zone of mineralization in the most westerly part of the existing workings. The company has also completed a new 35-metre exploration drift to the southeast of the main haulage way. This new drift intersects highgrade zones that were previously mined as part of the Big Dig stope. Drilling continues. Processing equipment includes a new Steinert x-ray transmission ore sorter that Bayhorse bought and a crushing plant that has a throughput of about 200 tonnes per day. The company is currently crushing at 100 tonnes per day. Ore sorting significantly improves the ore grade and reduces the volume of material that must be trucked to a gravity and flotation plant for concentration. Run-of-mine ore with a grade as low as 30 grams silver per tonne can be upgraded to 20 times that. After processing, the concentrate that is produced contains 7,500 to 15,000 grams silver per tonne and 11% copper.
Bayhorse has made a 43-101 compliant resource estimate for its silver project. Using a 7.5 grams silver per tonne cut-off, the mine has 292,000 tonnes in the inferred category, and the average grade is 742.4 grams silver per tonne, for 6.3 million contained oz. of silver. The company has also created a conceptual exploration target model at Bayhorse of 200,000 to 250,000 tonnes grading 345 to 690 grams silver per tonne.
MINING AND MINERALS POLICY ACT
The Mining and Minerals Policy Act of December 31, 1970, is still in effect, and this Act states that it is the policy of the federal government to foster and encourage the development of economically sound and stable domestic mining, minerals, metal and mineral reclamation industries, is largely ignored by the agencies. This policy needs to be dusted off and sent out to every land manager in charge of minerals. Our minerals industry is vital to the well-being and safety of our nation, and the small-scale operator is an important part of this industry.
The General Mining Law of 1872 represents the very foundation and purpose for mineral location, extraction, land tenure, access and occupancy, and focuses on these exclusively. The law should not be weakened by adding environmental requirements or changing the intent of the law, which is a law of location. If the basic principles of the 1872 Mining Law go away, ultimately, so will the small-scale miner, the exploratory arm of the industry.
ATTEMPT TO CHANGE THE MINING LAW THROUGH THE BUDGET PROCESS
In Washington on Tuesday, members of the Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources (ENR) came out in opposition of House Democrats’ attempt to change the mining law through a partisan budget process. US mining companies have blasted proposals in Congress that would set royalties for copper, lithium and other minerals extracted from federal land, with executives saying the measures would hurt domestic production of the building blocks for solar panels, electric vehicles and other green technologies. “The race for electric vehicles and electrification of the economy requires metals and mining, and that needs to be incentivized, not stalled,” Rich Nolan, head of the National Mining Association, told Reuters.
The House of Representatives Natural Resources Committee added language to the proposed $3.5 trillion reconciliation spending measure earlier this month that would set an 8% gross royalty on existing mines and 4% on new ones. There would also be a 7 cent fee for every tonne of rock moved. That would mark one of the most-substantial changes to the law that has governed U.S. mining since 1872 and could raise about $2 billion over 10 years for federal coffers. The 1872 law did not set royalties in order to encourage development of more than 350 million acres in the western United States. Miners say it should remain as-is, or be tweaked only slightly. Environmentalists have long said the law should be updated to require the industry to pay to extract minerals on taxpayer-owned land.
“The president and House Democrats want to make it more difficult to get to these minerals we need. And they seek to eliminate all mining on federal lands,” said Ranking Republican Member John Barrasso (Wyoming) in Tuesday’s hearing. “Last month, House Democrats advanced partisan budget legislation – their reckless tax and spending spree – that would impose punishing royalties on existing and new mines on federal land. House Democrats also plan to raise fees and impose a tax on mining firms. The fees are based on the amount of dirt they moved. You can’t make this stuff up. House Democrats are planning to tax dirt,” Barrasso said.
The state of Nevada is home to the largest gold mining complex in the world, Nevada Gold Mines, a joint venture between the world’s top two gold miners —Newmont and Barrick. “I oppose the reform proposal that was put forward in the House of Representatives because, one, the legislation would have an unfair, outsized impact on the state of Nevada, where most of the land is owned by the federal government and it imposes taxes on federal land. But more importantly, moving this type of reform through a short-term budget process would create uncertainty for the industry and uncertainty that supports thousands of jobs across the country,” said Democratic Senator Catherine Cortez Masto (Nevada). “This is clearly an example where the legislation will help China and hurt the United States and make us more dependent on China and potentially other adversaries for critical minerals that we need, including for our national defense,” said North Dakota Republican Senator John Hoeven.
EOMA ADVERTISING AND SALE LISTINGS
EOMA SILVER MEDALLIONS FOR SALE
EOMA still has silver medallions available. They are currently selling for $50.00 apiece plus $5.00 shipping, handling, and insurance. (Prices are subject to change).
You can order your medallion from the EOMA website and pay by pay-pal. Or, you can send $50 plus $5.00 shipping and handling to EOMA, Medallions, PO Box 932, Baker City, OR 97814, or call 541-310-8510. Also, you can buy them at our EOMA meetings.
PUMPS FOR SALE
Two water pumps with belt driven clutch system (heavy duty) driven by a 2-cylinder Wisconsin gas engine for $250.
Also, a 5" intake 7" discharge Fairbanks and Morse high pressure pump. Driven by a 30 HP 3 phase electric motor for $450. Call Ken Anderson at 541-523-2521 or 541-519- 9497
FOR SALE EARTH MAGNETOMETER
This magnetometer measures the amount of magnetics in the ground, such as magnetite. Since magnetite is associated with gold, the magnetometer can help greatly with prospecting, since it will show you the amount of magnetite that may well be associated with gold in the ground. The more magnetite, the more gold. $400 or cash $350. Call Chuck Chase, 541-310-8510.
WANTED-SMALL HARDROCK MILL
I need a jaw crusher or small hammer mill. Please call Pete at 541-910-9712 if you have one you want to sell.
WANTED-GOLD
Gold Specimens and Gold nuggets, mostly from Oregon mines. Fair prices paid. Also selling Gold nugget jewelry, specimens, nuggets and more. For an interesting and informative experience explore www.northernnevadagold.com. Call Robert 775-455-6470.
NINE UNPATENTED PLACER CLAIMS FOR SALE
These claims are in the Greenhorn Mining District, adjacent to the Parkerville and the Bonanza patented properties. Geiser Bowl- 60 acres, PW #1- 80 acres, PW #6 -100 acres, Black Beauty- 100 acres, Blue Mt Channel #3-100 acres, Carranza-80 acres, Dottie Two-80acres, Mart Jones-60 acres, Wizzer-80 acres.
Contact LaRayn Rose for list prices, and of course, any reasonable offer will be considered especially for multiple claim purchases. (503) 317-6914
SUBSCRIBE TO MINING JOURNAL FOR UP TO DATE NEWS
ICMJ’s Prospecting and Mining Journal is your monthly source for news, legislation, how-to articles and more. A full year (12 issues) is still only $27.95; or get a print and an online subscription for just $31.95, and get access to our last 16 years of articles online too. Published monthly since 1931.
Visit us at www.icmj.com or call at (831) 479-1500 to get your subscription.
ACTION MINING SERVICES, INC.
AMS is selling out all assay supplies, screens, chemicals and labware! Call for quote and mention this ad for 35% off! Assay supplies, concentrators, impact mills, technical books (for the beginner to the advanced mill man), & more!
Call for our free catalog or visit us online! Check out their website for information on wave tables. Want to pick up an order in Plains Montana? We have moved to Plains, Montana…. please call 406.826.9330 to place the order on will call first, this way our staff can have it pulled and ready for pick up. Otherwise, we can always ship your order! sales@actionmining.com • www.actionmining.com
AMERICAN EXPLORATION & MINING
A lot of information in this newsletter was obtained from the American Exploration & Mining Association newsletter. To stay up to date on mining issues, you can become a member of AEMA.
by going to their website at info@miningamerica.org
THE OREGON CONCRETE AND AGGREGATE ASSOCIATION
EOMA is a member of OCAPA. This is undoubtedly the largest type of mining in Oregon. They have a very interesting and informative website that also may be of interest to metal miners. They keep track of the bills introduced in Oregon’s legislature that may affect all mining in Oregon.
It will be necessary to remind the Oregon legislators, who mainly come from the Willamette Valley, that not all of Oregon has a moderate climate. A bill such as SB 715 which mandates higher percentages of biodiesel doesn’t work for the people who live and work at higher elevations.
Check out their website: https://www.ocapa.net
SEND YOUR NEWSLETTER ITEMS
If you have informative or interesting articles about mining items to share in the newsletter, send them to Ken Alexander alxk@ortelco.net, or Chuck Chase CHASE3285@msn.com, or Jan Alexander alx@ortelco.net.
Be sure to indicate the source of the information you send.
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