SoCalMining Meeting Callendar

January ^th, 2008
NO MEETING THIS MONTH

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February 19 ^th, 2008
Penny Alexander-Kelly - Vested Mining Rights

Summary:Topic: “What are “vested mining rights” and why are they important to mineral development in California?” A vested mining right is a property right that allows the holder of the right to continue its historic mining operations at a particular location without the necessity of obtaining a local agency use permit. In accordance with California’s Surface Mining and Reclamation Act, Public Resources Code § 2710 et seq. (SMARA), vested mining rights that were established as of January 1, 1976 are protected by state law. Most local development codes incorporate the SMARA provisions. Of significance is the benefit of asserting and proving up a vested mining right in the current social and governmental settings which are, at times, openly hostile to mining operations. If a vested mining right can be proven, then the operator is not required to obtain a conditional use permit (CUP) for the mining operations, nor would extensive environmental review of mining operations be required under the California Environmental Quality Act, Public Resources Code §21000 et seq. (CEQA). A CUP is likely to contain extensive operating conditions as well as require public hearings prior to issuance, along with CEQA compliance (which also requires public review and comment). A CUP is subject to a specific term of years and subject to revocation by the local agency; while a vested mining right is a property right that may continue indefinitely and is afforded a higher standard of review before termination of the right is permissible under the law.

Speaker: Penny Alexander-Kelly

Background:Ms. Alexander-Kelley is a shareholder of Gresham, Savage, Nolan & Tilden APC, and has been with the firm since graduation from the USC Gould School of Law in 1989. Her experience includes the permitting of mines, waste management, reclamation requirements and uses of public lands. She has dealt with air quality, water supply and quality, wetlands, species protection and compliance, and other environmental matters, including CEQA/NEPA document review. She has spoken on a variety of matters including the BLM policies regarding excess reserves and mill site limitations, aggregate mining operations in the urban setting, wetlands permitting and CEQA compliance. Her experience also includes CEQA litigation, trials and appeals, as well as administrative hearings and appeal. Published decisions include: Dry Creek Citizens Coalition v. County of Tulare (1999); In Re Creole Corp. (1998); In Re Tetra Technologies (2007).

Meeting Format: Social hour is from 6:00 pm to 7:00 pm, Buffet Dinner begins about 7:00 pm. After the dinner, section business is attended to, a raffle of several bottles of wind is conducted and the presentation is given. Proceeds from the raffle support the GEM Committee activities.

The Dinner cost is $30/person. To Be Held At Pomona Valley Mining Co., Pomona, CA
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March 18^th, 2008

Speaker: SME Henry Krumb Speaker: Gordon Stevens - Resource Development & Planning: A Multidisciplinary Approach

Summary: Resource Development and Planning: A Multidisciplinary Approach – Resource development and planning for construction aggregates requires a good understanding of the mineable minerals reserves under a site and the methods and means to mine and process the reserves. What is not so commonly known is the extensive procedure required to get the property zoned and permitted to begin mining operations. If the property is already permitted, only the qualification of reserves and the planning involving good mining practices are initially critical. More times than not, however, the site is a greenfield or an expansion site beyond the originally permitted boundaries. In these cases, a plan requiring a substantial effort from many technical disciplines may be necessary to obtain the necessary permits. The list of technical professionals required can be daunting – geologists, hydrogeologists, geophysicists, civil and mining engineers, blasting professionals, traffic engineers, ecologists, archaeologists, meteorologists, certified industrial health professionals for air quality and noise control, real estate appraisers, land planners, and a knowledgeable team of attorneys. This presentation will discuss the multidisciplinary approach required to obtain the permits and the technical reports that will be required by each of the professional disciplines involved.

Meeting Format: TBA

Background: Gordon M. Stevens is a principal with Civil & Environmental Consultants in Chicago, IL. He has 30 years of experience in geologic and hydrogeologic investigations with nearly 25 years as a consultant for aggregate and cement producers. He has both a masters and bachelors degree in geology from State University of New York. He is a licensed professional geologist in Illinois and several other Midwestern states, and also a certified professional geologist with the American Institute of Professional Geologists. As a principal with C&EC, Mr. Stevens manages teams of engineers and scientists through the design and permitting process for greenfield mine development projects and expansion of existing aggregate and cement facilities. His primary experience includes mining operations, landfill and contaminated site characterizations, and water supply investigations. He has served as Chairman of the SME Chicago Section for several years, and also served as a Commissioner for the Washington Award Commission for the Western Society of Engineers.

The Dinner cost is $30/person. To Be Held At Pomona Valley Mining Co., Pomona, CA

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Saturday, April 11^th, 2008 Field Trip

Spring Field Trip: North Star Minerals, Inc, Plant and Quarries, Acton, CA; and Vulcan Materials Co. Soledad Plant, Canyon Country, CA.

May 13^th, 2008 – Aggregates: On the verge of Crisis?

Summary: The presentation and ensuing discussion will provide general information about the construction aggregates industry and will focus on the state and regional predicament of diminishing reserves, increasing demand, and public pressure to deny permits for new mines. The presentation will cover some basis information including regulations and reclamation requirements, current economic factors, reserves vs. demand, current consumption, permitting, obstacles to increasing supply, the approaching crisis, and what can be done.

SPEAKER: Christine M. Jones, CEMEX Christine M. Jones is the Environmental Manager for the southern California aggregate and ready mix concrete operations of CEMEX Construction Materials, L.P. Christine is responsible for managing the regulatory requirements involving air and water quality, hazardous materials, endangered species, etc. at 18 ready mix concrete plants, 6 active quarries, and several other properties owned by CEMEX in southern California. In addition, she is responsible for land use permitting and property leases. She has also successfully obtained expansion permits for the CEMEX Lytle Creek and Redlands aggregate operations. Christine holds a B.S. and M.S. Degree in Geology from the University of California at Riverside, and had been employed at CEMEX for over 13 years. Prior to CEMEX, she gained professional experience with environmental consulting firms and the Riverside County Hazardous Materials Department.

Background:

To Be Held At Pomona Valley Mining Co., Pomona, CA Back to Top

No Meeting In June, 2008

Summary:

Background: Not Available At This Time.

No meting in July

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NO MEETINGS HELD DURING AUGUST
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September 18^th, 2007 Geology and Remediation of the Leviathan Mine, CA
SPEAKER: G. Todd Ririe

Summary: The Leviathan Mine is a former underground (copper and sulfur), and open pit (sulfur) mine located in Alpine County about 25 miles southeast of South Lake Tahoe, California. The site is in a remote location at an elevation of approximately 7000 feet. The site consists of about 250 acres containing overburden and waste rock piles, underground workings, an open pit mine, and five evaporation ponds that the State of California constructed in the early 1980's to hold acid mine drainage (AMD). A new site geologic conceptual model has been developed and the importance of this with respect to clean up options and goals will be discussed.

Background: G. Todd Ririe is currently the chair for the Southern California Section of SME and is employed by BP America in La Palma, California. Todd has a PhD in geology from the Univ. of Iowa and has over 25 years of experience in exploration and environmental geology. His current duties are to provide environmental technical support to BP operations in the Western Region of the United States. Prior to joining BP in 2006 Todd worked for 24 years at Unocal on a variety of mining and environmental projects.

To Be Held At Pomona Valley Mining Co., Pomona, CA
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Friday, October 19^th, 2007 SME Field Trip, Vulcan Materials, Irwindale, CA

Summary: SME will conduct a field trip to Vulcan's Reliance Mining and Processing Operation in Irwindale on Friday, October 19, 2007. They use a bank-dragline method to mine a 170 foot high face formation that is unique and extremely cost effective, and that your processing plant is a state-of-the-art aggregate productioin facility.

Assuming the field trip would require 2 to 3 hours, we plan to arrive at the facility about 8:30 to 8:45 am. so that the field trip could start promptly at 9:00 am and be completed by noon. Hard hats, protective glasses, and appropriate footwear would be required. If you have such gear, bring it, otherwise some will be available at the operation. The group will embark on the tour in several vans (Vulcan's).

Background: NA

Meeting Format: See above.
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November 21^st, 2007 Gene Dewey

Summary: The history of Molycorp.

Background: Gene Dewey retired in June of 2000 as Unocal's VP of Carbon and Minerals and President of Molycorp. He spent 34 years of his career with Molycorp, 15 as President. He will give a presentation on the History of Molycorp

Merging two companies, Electric Furnace Reduction Company (EFR) and Western Mining Company, created In 1920 Molybdenum Corporation of America (MCA), also known as MoCorp

The company consisted of a plant located in Washington, PA which since 1916 had been producing ferrotungsten, ferrochromium, ferrovanadium and cerium alloys. During World War I, cerium alloys were used to produce star-shells and flares for the military and lighter flints from the commercial side. In 1917 the plant also began producing ferromolybdenum

In 1920, the company acquired 10 Load mining claims at Questa, NM. In 1950 the Birthday claims were acquired in Mountain Pass California.
At the time the Questa mine was terminating underground production (1957), a new mineral venture arose at a bridge game that included Marx Hirsch and K. C. Li, owner of Wah Chang - a tungsten producing company. Li asked Hirsch if he would be interested in a niobium business in Brazil. Hirsch said, "yes", and with little more than a handshake, MCA became an equal partner with Wah Chang in a 50% interest in DEMA (Distribuidora e Exportadora de Minerios e Adubos Ltda.) The other partners in DEMA were a group of Brazilian businessmen

No formalization was made of the agreement, and in 1961 Li died. Production had begun by 1960 and Kuntz, who by that time had become president of MCA, finalized the agreement in 1963. Wah Chang and MCA formed a company named Niobium Corporation, each holding 100 shares of the company, which held the 50% interest in DEMA

In 1977 Molycorp Merged into Unocal Corporation and became a wholly owned subsidiary. In 2005 Unocal Merged with Chevron Corporation and Molycorp is now a wholly owned subsidiary of Chevron.

Meeting Format: Social hour is from 6:00 pm to 7:00 pm, Dinner begins about 7:00 pm. After the dinner, section business is attended to, a raffle of several bottles of wind is conducted and the presentation is given. Proceeds from the raffle support the GEM Committee activities. The Dinner cost is $30/person.

To Be Held At Stevens Steak House, Commerce CA
Directions to Stevens Steak House
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December 11^th , 2007
This meeting is our ANNUAL CHRISTMAS PARTY
Speaker: Joel Robinson on his North Pole trip

Topic:

Summary:The North Pole TBA

Background:
TBA

Meeting Format: This meeting is our ANNUAL CHRISTMAS PARTY

Gifts and raffles Social 6pm, 6:45pm, Dinner-$35 each, Program 7:45pm
A brief talk will be given on the North Pole
To Be Held At Pomona Valley Mining Co., Pomona, CA
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