Minnesota 2025-2026 Regular Session

Minnesota House Bill HF3050 Compare Versions

Only one version of the bill is available at this time.

Old	New	Differences
1	1	1.1 A bill for an act
2	2	1.2 relating to mining; modifying requirements for safe storage of reactive mine waste;
3	3	1.3 proposing coding for new law in Minnesota Statutes, chapter 93; repealing
4	4	1.4 Minnesota Rules, part 6132.2200.
5	5	1.5BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MINNESOTA:
6	6	1.6 Section 1. [93.5141] SAFE STORAGE OF REACTIVE MINE WASTE.
7	7	1.7 Subdivision 1.Goals.Reactive mine waste must be mined, disposed of, and reclaimed
8	8	1.8to prevent the release of substances that result in adverse impacts on natural resources by
9	9	1.9meeting the applicable water quality standards.
10	10	1.10 Subd. 2.Definitions.(a) For purposes of this section, the following terms have the
11	11	1.11meanings given.
12	12	1.12 (b) "Applicable water quality standards" means the federal, state, local, or Tribal water
13	13	1.13quality standards that directly govern the water into which a discharge occurs.
14	14	1.14 (c) "Reactive mine waste" means waste that is shown through characterization studies
15	15	1.15or other means to cause a sustained net decrease in pH of at least 0.5 standard pH units in
16	16	1.16contact water due to a chemical interaction between sulfur-bearing minerals and oxygen.
17	17	1.17 Subd. 3.Requirements.A nonferrous metallic minerals mining operation must meet
18	18	1.18the following requirements:
19	19	1.19 (1) chemical and physical characterization of mine waste must be conducted before an
20	20	1.20application for a permit to mine is submitted and continuously during the process of mining,
21	21	1.21according to Minnesota Rules, part 6132.1000; and
22	22	1Section 1.
23	23	REVISOR CKM/NS 25-0493503/18/25
24	24	State of Minnesota
25	25	This Document can be made available
26	26	in alternative formats upon request
27	27	HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
28	28	H. F. No. 3050
29	29	NINETY-FOURTH SESSION
30	30	Authored by Igo04/02/2025
31	31	The bill was read for the first time and referred to the Committee on Environment and Natural Resources Finance and Policy 2.1 (2) to comply with applicable water quality standards during construction and at closure,
32	32	2.2a reactive mine waste storage facility must be designed by professional engineers who are
33	33	2.3registered in Minnesota and proficient in the design, construction, operation, and reclamation
34	34	2.4of facilities for storing reactive mine waste. The design may include but is not limited to:
35	35	2.5 (i) modifying the physical or chemical characteristics of the mine waste or storing it in
36	36	2.6an environment where the discharge meets applicable water quality standards; or
37	37	2.7 (ii) during construction to the extent practicable and at closure, providing for collecting
38	38	2.8and disposing of waters that drain from the mine waste in compliance with applicable water
39	39	2.9quality standards.
40	40	2.10 Sec. 2. REPEALER.
41	41	2.11 Minnesota Rules, part 6132.2200, is repealed.
42	42	2Sec. 2.
43	43	REVISOR CKM/NS 25-0493503/18/25 6132.2200REACTIVE MINE WASTE.
44	44	Subpart 1.Goals.Reactive mine waste shall be mined, disposed of, and reclaimed to
45	45	prevent the release of substances that result in the adverse impacts on natural resources.
46	46	Subp. 2.Requirements.A mining operation must meet the requirements in items A
47	47	to D.
48	48	A.Chemical and physical characterization of mine waste must be conducted before
49	49	the submission of an application for a permit to mine and continuously after that during the
50	50	process of mining under part 6132.1000.
51	51	B.A reactive mine waste storage facility must be designed by professional
52	52	engineers registered in Minnesota proficient in the design, construction, operation, and
53	53	reclamation of facilities for the storage of reactive mine waste, to either:
54	54	(1)modify the physical or chemical characteristics of the mine waste, or store
55	55	it in an environment, such that the waste is no longer reactive; or
56	56	(2)during construction to the extent practicable, and at closure, permanently
57	57	prevent substantially all water from moving through or over the mine waste and provide
58	58	for the collection and disposal of any remaining residual waters that drain from the mine
59	59	waste in compliance with federal and state standards.
60	60	C.The reactive mine waste storage facility design shall:
61	61	(1)describe all materials, construction, and operating performance
62	62	specifications and limitations that must be maintained to ensure protection of natural
63	63	resources;
64	64	(2)identify monitoring locations to ensure compliance with the design; and
65	65	(3)include a schedule for inspection of the reactive mine waste storage facility
66	66	construction, operation, and reclamation including closure and postclosure maintenance,
67	67	by the design engineers, to ensure compliance with the design. In the event the design
68	68	engineers become unable to perform the inspections, the engineers shall be replaced by
69	69	persons who meet the qualifications of part 6132.2200, subpart 2, item B, and that can
70	70	demonstrate an understanding of the design and an ability to perform the necessary
71	71	inspections.
72	72	D.The commissioner may allow variance from specific reclamation requirements
73	73	of parts 6132.2100 and 6132.2300 to 6132.2700 if their use would inhibit designs necessary
74	74	to meet the requirements of this part.
75	75	1R
76	76	APPENDIX
77	77	Repealed Minnesota Rules: 25-04935