As used in ORS 517.952 to 517.989:

1. (1) “Affected agency” includes permitting agencies, cooperating agencies and commenting agencies.
2. (2) “Baseline data” means information gathered to characterize the natural and cultural environments of a mining operation site before a mining operation begins.
3. (3) “Commenting agency” means any agency that makes recommendations to the State Department 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. (4) “Consolidated application” means the single application required under ORS 517.971.
5. (5) “Environmental evaluation” means an analysis prepared under ORS 517.979 to address specific impacts of the mining operation to allow affected agencies to develop permit conditions.
6. (6) “Gravity separation” means the separation of mineral particles, with the aid of water or air, according to the differences in the specific gravities of the particles.
7. (7) “Mining operation” means a surface or underground mine that processes, produces or reclaims metal ore using a method other than, or in addition to, gravity separation to process the ore.

8. (8) “Mitigation” means the reduction of adverse effects of a proposed mining operation by considering, in the following order:

   1. (a) Avoiding the impact altogether by not taking a certain action or parts of an action;
   2. (b) Minimizing impacts by limiting the degree or magnitude of the action and its implementation;
   3. (c) Rectifying the impact by repairing, rehabilitating or restoring the affected environment;
   4. (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
   5. (e) Compensating for the impact by replacing or providing comparable substitute resources or environments.
9. (9) “Permitting agency” means an agency that has a separate permitting authority for a mining operation.
10. (10) “Project coordinating committee” means the interagency governmental committee established in accordance with ORS 517.965.
11. (11) “Technical review team” means the interagency group established in accordance with ORS 517.967.

[1991 c.735 §3; 2013 c.371 §6; 2017 c.736 §7]