AS Title 46, Chapter 16: Management and Use of Water in Mining
AI-assisted research summary: This chapter creates mining-related grant programs, assigns duties to a review committee and state commissioners, caps grants at $100,000 per person, requires applicants to assign patent rights to the state, and provides free state licensing for eligible placer miners.
Chapter 16. Management and Use of Water in Mining. Sec. 46.16.010. Mining water use review committee established. The mining water use review committee is established. The review committee is responsible for reviewing and making recommendations on applications for grants under this chapter. Sec. 46.16.020. Membership of the review committee. (a) The review committee consists of the commissioner of natural resources, the commissioner of environmental conservation, the dean of the school of mineral industry at the University of Alaska, two individuals appointed by the governor who have placer mining experience, and one public member appointed by the governor. (b) An individual described in (a) of this section who serves ex officio may designate an alternate to serve on the review committee. (c) An individual appointed by the governor serves for a three-year term. Sec. 46.16.030. Responsibility of the review committee. (a) The review committee shall select a presiding officer and establish procedures necessary to implement its responsibilities. (b) The review committee shall review each application for a grant filed under this chapter and make a recommendation to the commissioner of natural resources or to the commissioner of environmental conservation for action on the application. (c) In making its recommendation, the committee shall consider the economic benefits to the placer mining industry, the environmental benefits to the public, and other benefits that each grant may offer. Sec. 46.16.040. Responsibility of commissioner of natural resources. The commissioner of natural resources shall administer the innovative gold recovery demonstration grant program established under AS 46.16.070 . Sec. 46.16.050. Responsibility of commissioner of environmental conservation. The commissioner of environmental conservation shall administer the innovative pollution control demonstration grant program established under AS 46.16.080 . Sec. 46.16.060. Uniform regulations. The commissioner of natural resources and the commissioner of environmental conservation shall adopt uniform regulations and administrative procedures to implement the grant programs established by this chapter. Sec. 46.16.070. Innovative gold recovery demonstration grant program. (a) The innovative gold recovery demonstration grant program is established as a direct grant program to give a person engaged in placer mining the opportunity to study and test new methods of gold recovery and water use reduction. (b) The commissioner of natural resources may make a grant under this section to a person that has (1) a proven history of successful placer mining in the state; (2) the capability to produce verifiable results; and (3) the capability to study and test new methods of gold recovery and water use reduction under actual operating conditions. (c) The commissioner of natural resources may not make a grant under this section to a person in excess of $100,000. (d) The commissioner of natural resources shall monitor and evaluate the results of grants made under this section. Sec. 46.16.080. Innovative pollution control demonstration grant program. (a) The innovative pollution control demonstration grant program is established as a direct grant program to give a person engaged in placer mining the opportunity to study and test innovative and economically viable mining techniques for waste disposal and pollution control in placer mining. (b) The commissioner of environmental conservation may make grants under this section to a person that has (1) a proven history of successful placer mining in the state; (2) the capability to produce verifiable results; and (3) the capability to study and test innovative and economically viable techniques for waste disposal and pollution control in placer mining. (c) The commissioner of environmental conservation may not make a grant under this section to a person in excess of $100,000. (d) The commissioner of environmental conservation shall monitor and evaluate the results of grants made under this section. Sec. 46.16.090. Access to information. (a) All information generated as a result of grants made under this chapter is public information. The commissioner of natural resources and the commissioner of environmental conservation shall compile, analyze, and distribute the information for the benefit of the placer mining industry and the state and federal governments. (b) The contents of an application for a grant are available to the extent permitted under AS 40.25.110 and 40.25.120. Sec. 46.16.100. Patents. A person who applies for a grant under this chapter shall assign to the state the right to patent any patentable process developed as a result of a grant under this chapter. The department making the grant shall seek to patent any patentable process developed as a result of a grant under this chapter. The state shall license without cost to a person engaged in placer mining in the state the right to use in the state a patented process that was developed as a result of a grant under this chapter.