
The narrative had been set by extreme environmentalists that suction dredging is bad and never mind the science that proves otherwise. Several years ago, PLP had to make the tough decision to face the reality that fighting in state courts on certain premises was not productive when one has no control over the narrative. Prohibitive State Suction Dredge Regulations & Programs PLP believes it is now time to release this information and clarification given based upon our alliances within the industry, key working relationships within the Trump administration that were established over the course of the last three years, and to so apprise and reassure our membership and alliances within the industry. Up until now, PLP had been reluctant to release this strategy until the proper legal, scientific, and political foundations have been laid and solidified. Status: 2019 Don Smith Petition under pending consideration Status: Petition accepted, and Rulemaking process started May 2020.Ģ) Clarifying regulations that are jointly issued by the federal EPA and Army Corps that state that suction dredging does not as a matter of practice produce an addition within the meaning of the CWA 402 NPDES program and is not a point source discharge while reaffirming longstanding deminimus unregulated movements under the CWA 404 program. Forest Service and Bureau of Land Management. To overcome these two obstacles, two things will need to be completed that PLP is helping to guide:ġ) Federal Preemption regulations set out to deconflict duplicative & prohibitive state regulatory programs on federally administered lands under the surface jurisdiction of the U.S. Public Lands for the People (PLP) is conservatively projecting a path for legally reopening gold suction dredging mining starting in 2021 provided that two obstacles are resolved, which are:ġ) Prohibitive state regulatory programs that have become dysfunctional and prohibitive to the suction dredge industry.Ģ) Inconsistent applications of the Clean Water Act (CWA) federal & state administered section 402 National Pollution Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) program. PLP Update: The Path for Legally Re-Starting Suction Gold Dredge Mining in 2021 Small Mining Operationsįree / Small Mining Operations PLP Update: The Path for Legally Re-Starting Suction Gold Dredge Mining in 2021
