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83rd OREGON LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY--2025 Regular Session
Senate Bill 664
Sponsored by Senator BONHAM (at the request of Senator Noah Robinson) (Presession filed.)
SUMMARY
The following summary is not prepared by the sponsors of the measure and is not a part of the body thereof subject
to consideration by the Legislative Assembly. It is an editor’s brief statement of the essential features of the
measure as introduced. The statement includes a measure digest written in compliance with applicable readability
standards.
Digest: This Act says that mines that use air, water or froth to remove metal from ore are
gravity separation mines. (Flesch Readability Score: 68.0).
Provides that mines solely using gravity separation shall be deemed gravity separation mines.
Modifies the definition of “gravity separation” to include froth flotation.
A BILL FOR AN ACT
Relating to gravity separation mines; creating new provisions; and amending ORS 517.952.
Be It Enacted by the People of the State of Oregon:
SECTION 1.
Section 2 of this 2025 Act is added to and made a part of ORS 517.702 to
517.989.
SECTION 2. For purposes of ORS 517.750 to 517.901, 517.905 to 517.951, 517.990 and 517.992,
a mine that solely uses gravity separation, as defined in ORS 517.952, to separate metals from
ore shall be deemed a gravity separation mine.
SECTION 3. ORS 517.952 is amended to read:
517.952. As used in ORS 517.952 to 517.989:
(1) “Affected agency” includes permitting agencies, cooperating agencies and commenting agen-
cies.
(2) “Baseline data” means information gathered to characterize the natural and cultural envi-
ronments of a mining operation site before a mining operation begins.
(3) “Commenting agency” means any agency that makes recommendations to the State Depart-
ment of Geology and Mineral Industries or to a permitting agency regarding permit conditions or
whether to approve or deny a permit under the consolidated application process established under
ORS 517.952 to 517.989.
(4) “Consolidated application” means the single application required under ORS 517.971.
(5) “Environmental evaluation” means an analysis prepared under ORS 517.979 to address spe-
cific impacts of the mining operation to allow affected agencies to develop permit conditions.
(6) “Gravity separation” means :
(a) The separation of mineral particles, with the aid of water or air, according to the differences
in the specific gravities of the particles ; or
(b) The separation of mineral particles through froth flotation .
(7) “Mining operation” means a surface or underground mine that processes, produces or re-
claims metal ore using a method other than, or in addition to, gravity separation to process the ore.
(8) “Mitigation” means the reduction of adverse effects of a proposed mining operation by con-
sidering, in the following order:
(a) Avoiding the impact altogether by not taking a certain action or parts of an action;
NOTE: Matter in boldfaced type in an amended section is new; matter [ italic and bracketed] is existing law to be omitted.
New sections are in boldfaced type.
LC 1522
SB 664
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(b) Minimizing impacts by limiting the degree or magnitude of the action and its implementation;
(c) Rectifying the impact by repairing, rehabilitating or restoring the affected environment;
(d) Reducing or eliminating the impact over time by preservation and maintenance operations
during the life of the action by monitoring and taking appropriate corrective measures; or
(e) Compensating for the impact by replacing or providing comparable substitute resources or
environments.
(9) “Permitting agency” means an agency that has a separate permitting authority for a mining
operation.
(10) “Project coordinating committee” means the interagency governmental committee estab-
lished in accordance with ORS 517.965.
(11) “Technical review team” means the interagency group established in accordance with ORS
517.967.
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