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Collaboration and Partnerships
Note: EPA no longer updates this information, but it may be useful as a reference or resource.
Mining and Mineral Processing Dialogue Group
EPA Office of Enforcement & Compliance Assistance
Geographic location or area of activity: National, informal workgroup run by the OECA Headquarters office in DC, with participants from all over the country.
Description of activity: One of OECA’s National Enforcement Priorities for FY05 – 2010 is the Mining and Mineral Processing Sector. To assist the Agency with identifying compliance assistance tools that would be useful to develop for the copper and gold mining and processing industries, EPA invited interested members of the public and other State, Tribal and Federal agencies to participate in ongoing dialogues with the Agency.
Through informal teleconferences, EPA has hosted eight dialogues to date, with States, tribes, industry, non-profits and others, to discuss the needs and ideas for environmental compliance assistance tools for the gold and copper sectors. The four objectives of the dialogues are to: (1) discuss environmental issues encountered by regulators and industries; (2) collect compliance assistance materials currently available; (3) determine if additional compliance assistance tools are needed; and (4) gather information necessary to develop these tools.
In FY 2007, with input from the dialogues, EPA developed and posted to its website, a comprehensive compendium of compliance assistance resources: Mining and Mineral Processing Compliance Assistance Resources for the Gold and Copper Industries. (https://www.epa.gov/compliance/resources/publications/assistance/sectors/miningcompendium.pdf) EPA continues to work with these participants in the development of other compliance assistance tools designed to help: industry understand their environmental obligations, regulators identify the most common violations and facility operators learn about technologies and process changes that can reduce the environmental footprint of their operations.
Interagency partners:
Federal participants: USDA - U.S. Forest Service; Department of Interior - Bureau of Land Management and National Park Services
States participants: Arizona, Colorado, California, Connecticut, Michigan, Missouri, Montana, Nevada and South Dakota
Tribal participants:Great Lakes Indian Fish & Wildlife Commission and the Lac Vieux Desert
Local partners:
Non-profit organizations:National Environmental Trust, Earthworks, Idaho Conservation League, and Great Basin Mine Watch
Academia & Small Business Assistance Providers: University of Nevada, University of California, Union County College, University of North Carolina, Georgia Tech Research Institute and Southwest Research & Info Center
Trade Associations: The Copper Development Association, National Mining Association, Northwest Mining Association and Arizona Mining Association
Law Firms/Companies/Consultants: 32 individuals who represent 7 law firms, 13 mining and processing companies and 8 environmental consultant firms.