EASTERN OREGON
MINING ASSOCIATION
APRIL 2021
Volume 379
APRIL 2nd, 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 APRIL 2ND, 2021 at the Elk Creek Enterprises saw shop located at 890 Elm Street. There is a big TIMBERUNITY sign in the window. The Board Meeting will begin at 6:00PM with the regular 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, support EOMA and who knows, you may get lucky!
YOUR MEMBERSHIP DUES WERE DUE JANUARY 1ST
If you can’t pay in person, please send your $35 dues ($40 for a couple) to the EOMA, PO Box 932, Baker City OR 97814. You should also be able to pay with a credit card or pay pal on our website. www.h2oaccess.com This year the Oregon Legislature is controlled by a Democratic super majority, so we will need all the help we can get to keep anti-mining bills from being passed.
SB192: CONVERSATION WITH SEN. MERKLEY-Ken Alexander
I spoke to Senator Merkley at his recent town meeting and expressed my concerns over the River Democracy Act. He told me that Senator Wyden was the lead person to talk to since the bill was put together by him. Any future storage water, or new mineral development will be stopped on over three million acres in Oregon if this Act is passed. I read in the paper that the former Wallowa-Whitman hydrologist, Suzanne Fouty said she reviewed the WWNF Inventory Documentation from 2010, however, the Forest Service has been unable to provide this list to me so far. This Bill has many rivers in it that will have a big impact on Oregon. There are several segments that go through highly mineralized areas, and have been studied for future water development projects.
EOMA ELECTIONS RESULTS
EOMA’s new treasurer is Rob Browning. Our new secretary is Mike Browning.
All the above Executive Board members were reelected. Board members, elected for the next two years, are Ron Anderson, Larry Chase, Tommy Partee, Wanda Ballard, Ken Anderson, Dan Brown, Thom Seal and Pam Haney. Ed Hardt is a lifetime Board member. These members help make the decisions for EOMA. Contact them for your ideas, and they will bring them to the Board.
FAYALITE CRYSTALS ARE A NEW INDICATOR TO FIND RARE EARTHS-Geology,
In a paper published in the journal Geology, the researchers explain that contrary to what their name might suggest, sources of rare earth elements or rare earth metals are distributed fairly equally all over the world. However, there are only very few sources that are economically viable and they propose using a new indicator to identify such deposits. “Since heavy rare earth elements are becoming increasingly scarce on the world market, the discovery of fayalite, as a new potential source for locating new deposits of rare earths, is extremely important for the economy,” Reiner Klemd, one of the authors of the study, said in a media statement.
DOGAMI-Rich Angstrom OCAPA
DOGAMI’s budget passed out of Ways and Means this last week. The MLRR and GS&S programs were both fully funded. The MLRR program update graphic was released at the DOGAMI Board Meeting. The average time to process a permit was 6.5 months. There have been several significant increases in the fees, that took effect January 1st, 2021.
MINERAL COMMODITY REPORT- U.S. Geological Survey
The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) recently released its annual Mineral Commodity Summaries report. According to the report, import reliance remains high, with the U.S. currently 100 percent import reliant for 17 mineral commodities, and 50 percent or more import reliant for another 29.
The information contained in the report is very useful in our advocacy efforts stressing the importance of a strong domestic mining industry to ensure a secure, reliable supply chain of the minerals and metals needed for manufacturing, infrastructure, national defense, and other Biden Administration priorities, such as addressing climate change.
WHO’S WHO AT DOGAMI
Sarah Lewis is MLRR Program Manager, and her boss is Brad Avy, Director and State Geologist. Nick Tatalovich aggregate (and also metal mines) permitting, ReNeea Lofton Permit Coordinator and does Exploration Permits, Vaughn Balzer is in charge of floodplains and mining reclamation, Ben Mundie is a reclamation specialist, Cari Buchner is a compliance specialist, Ed Buchner does the map checking. Bob Houston is DOGAMI’s legislative Coordinator.
FREEDOM-Senator Brian Boquist
On COVID-19, President Biden said last week: "If we do this together, by July the 4th, there is a good chance you, your family and friends can get together in your backyard or in your neighborhood and have a cookout or a barbecue and celebrate Independence Day.”
It's only slightly ironic that a power-hungry politician is telling Americans they can “sort of” be free by the 4th of July or Independence Day. Set aside the conceit and misunderstanding of his constitutional role — the president doesn’t have the power to stop or allow us from gathering or barbecuing together — it seems inconceivable that Biden is this unaware of conditions on the ground around the country.
It speaks to a fundamental disconnect with the people of this country that Biden believes he can sell a kind of half celebration of a major holiday as some kind of victory or even an accomplishment of his administration.
BIDEN ISSUES EXECUTIVE ORDER ON SUPPLY CHAIN-AEMA
President Biden has signed an Executive Order on America’s Supply Chains that includes directives specific to minerals supply chains. The Order directs an immediate 100-day review across federal agencies to address vulnerabilities in the supply chains of key products, including “critical minerals and other strategic materials,” and requests policy recommendations to address risks. It reads: “By the authority vested in me as President by the Constitution and the laws of the United States of America, it is hereby ordered as follows:
Section 1. Policy. The United States needs resilient, diverse, and secure supply chains to ensure our economic prosperity and national security. Pandemics and other biological threats, cyber-attacks, climate shocks and extreme weather events, terrorist attacks, geopolitical and economic competition, and other conditions can reduce critical manufacturing capacity and the availability and integrity of critical goods, products, and services. Resilient American supply chains will revitalize and rebuild domestic manufacturing capacity, maintain America’s competitive edge in research and development, and create well-paying jobs. They will also support small businesses, promote prosperity, advance the fight against climate change, and encourage economic growth in communities of color and economically distressed areas.
SUPPLY CHAIN AND BATTERIES-AEMA
Large capacity batteries, such as those used in electric vehicles will be in demand. As we take action to tackle the climate crisis, we know that will lead to large demand for new energy technologies like electric vehicle batteries. By identifying supply chain risks, we can meet the President’s commitment to accelerate U.S. leadership of clean energy technologies. For example, while the U.S. is a net exporter of electric vehicles, we are not a leader in the supply chain associated with electric battery production. The U.S. could better leverage our sizeable lithium reserves and manufacturing know-how to expand domestic battery production.
MSHA CLASSES
MSHA classes will be held at Elk Creek Enterprises saw shop located at 890 Elm Street in Baker City. Classes will begin at 8:00AM. The cost is $30 for each day of training.
We have one more annual refresher training on April 23, 2021. This is your last chance to get the training in Baker City. We also have the three-day new miner training scheduled for April 23, 24, 25. You must register by calling Jan Alexander at 541-446-3413.
HAALAND CONFIRMATION HEARING-AEMA
President Biden’s nominee to head up the Department of Interior, Deb Haaland, faced roughly five hours of questioning over two days of confirmation hearings in the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee earlier this week. Ms. Haaland faced a variety of questions covering mining, the Endangered Species Act, public lands access, water rights, and a host of other issues. AEMA worked to submit questions for Ms. Haaland in advance. While several senators raised concerns with Ms. Haaland’s past positions and legislation, she often refused to clarify these and regularly deferred to Biden’s agenda. It appeared to be enough for some. Just hours after the second day of hearings, Chairman Manchin announced he would vote to confirm Ms. Haaland. (The Senate confirmed Rep. Deb Haaland on March 15, as President Biden’s interior secretary, in a vote that for the first time will make a Native American a White House cabinet secretary.)-editor
30X30 PLAN-AEMA
As you may recall, President Biden has set a nebulously worded goal of “conserving 30 percent of America’s lands by 2030,” also known as the “30x30” plan. The Department of Interior press release announcing the plan states that the administration “will work to achieve this 30x30 goal by supporting local, state, private, and tribally led nature conservation and restoration efforts that are underway across America.”. The federal government currently owns 28 percent of the U.S. landmass, and to date, even after Haaland’s confirmation hearing, there is no clear statement of how the administration would achieve this goal – whether through more wilderness designations, such as the aforementioned legislation, monument designations, administrative withdrawals, or other means.
UNDERSECRETARY OF AGRICULTURE
There is no word yet on who will fill the position of under-secretary for natural resources, which oversees the Forest Service.
This position is very important to those miners who work on the National Forests. As a definition of this position, “The Under Secretary of Agriculture for Natural Resources and Environment promotes the conservation and sustainable use of natural resources on the Nation's private lands and sustains production of all the goods and services that the public demands of the national forests. The Under Secretary is responsible for the day-to-day operations of the United States Forest Service and Natural Resources Conservation Service”.
WHERE IS THE PRICE OF GOLD GOING?- Trish Saywell Northern Miner
After a two-day policy meeting last week, the U.S. Federal Reserve said it will maintain its accommodative monetary policy (read easy money) and will keep its overnight interest rates near zero and continue to purchase roughly US$120 billion of treasury bonds and mortgage-backed securities each month.
That should be good news for gold. The metal finished February at US $1,743 per ounce (the worst monthly performance since November 2016) and then dipped to a nine-month low of US $1,697 per ounce at the end of the first week of March. By the end of the third week of March the metal was back up to US $1,744.90 per ounce and as The Northern Miner went to press, gold was hovering at around US $1,739.60 per ounce. The question is where is it headed from here?
Alan Oster, group chief economist at Australia National Bank (NAB), and his colleague Gerard Burg, the bank’s senior economist, said they don’t see big moves in the metal over the next year or two. “In the near term there appears to be limited upside pressure on gold – given an improving economic climate, and low interest rates that are likely to persist,” they wrote in a research note on March 10. “The key uncertainty is inflation, with fears that large scale stimulus could drive inflation higher, increasing the appeal of precious metals. That said, there remains spare capacity in a range of major economies, which could constrain this pressure. We see only limited upside to gold over the next two years – with gold prices averaging US $1,806 an oz. in 2021 and US $1,838 an oz. in 2022.”
If you listen to gold pundits like John Hathaway, who has been investing as a gold specialist since 1998, there’s never been a better time to invest in gold mining companies. On a Sprott Gold Talk radio podcast on March 10, the managing director and senior portfolio manager of Sprott Gold Equity Fund declared that he has “never seen the values as compelling as they are right now.”
“Gold stocks are out of favor and gold mining stocks are even more out of favor, despite the fact that gold mining companies are very profitable and are generating significant cash flow”, he told podcast host Ed Coyne, senior managing director at Sprott Asset Management.
Hathaway is certainly correct about cash flow. In a recent research note earlier this month, Bank of America noted that the four senior gold producers in North America (Newmont, Barrick, Agnico Eagle Mines and Kinross Gold, along with the four senior streaming and royalty companies (Franco-Nevada, Wheaton Precious Metals, Royal Gold and Osisko Gold Royalties) reported free cash flow last year of US $8.5 billion, roughly 41.5% of the global gold industry’s FCF.)
As for the price of the precious metal, Hathaway said he believes “that we could see another leg up in the gold price that takes us to new highs, which I think would inject a tremendous amount of buying into this sector.”
COVID 19 MINE WORKER PROTECTION ACT-AEMA
The COVID-19 Mine Worker Protection Act would direct the Secretary of Labor to issue an
emergency temporary standard that requires mine operators to:
• Develop and implement a comprehensive infectious disease exposure control plan to protect
miners from COVID-19 exposure at the mines;
• Provide personal protective equipment to miners;
• Incorporate guidelines from the CDC, NIOSH, and relevant scientific research;
• In coordination with CDC and NIOSH, track, analyze, and investigate mine-related COVID 19 infections data in order make recommendations and guidance to protect miners from the
EOMA ADVERTISING AND SALE LISTINGS
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/
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 Morris 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.
NATIVE SPIRIT 60 ACRE CLAIM FOR SALE
This claim is located on McCully Creek on the Wallowa-Whitman National Forest just west of the town of Sumpter. Good access, off-channel water is available for processing. DEQ process permit goes with the sale of the claim. Plan of Operation is scheduled to be approved in the fall of 2021. Call Charles Stewart at 541-910-5435 for more information. I will look at any reasonable offers.
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.
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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 pulled and ready for pick up. Otherwise, we can always ship your order! sales@actionmining.com • www.actionmining.com
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 information you send.
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