30 Jul, 23

From Coast to Coast: Navigating Construction Aggregate Permitting in Every U.S. State

Embarking on a mining project demands a meticulous understanding of the permitting landscape. Each state in the U.S. has a designated primary agency overseeing the mining sector, ensuring that operations align with established environmental and safety standards. This guide presents a concise list of these central agencies for each state, accompanied by direct links to their websites for easy access. However, it’s crucial to bear in mind that while these agencies play a primary role, the permitting process can extend beyond them. In states like California, for instance, additional entities may come into play. On top of state-level permits, operations such as sand and gravel or crushed stone mining and processing might necessitate permits related to water discharge, air quality, habitat protection, and land reclamation, among others. The state permit is foundational, but it’s just one of many potential permits an operation might require, with federal, county, and local permissions also often being key components of a comprehensive permitting strategy.

List of Every Primary Mining Regulatory Agency in Each US State

StateAgencyWebsite
AlabamaDepartment of Environmental Management, Division of Mining and Reclamationhttps://www.adem.alabama.gov/programs/land/mining.cnt
AlaskaDepartment of Natural Resources, Division of Mining, Land and Waterhttp://dnr.alaska.gov/mlw/mining/
ArizonaDepartment of Environmental Quality, Division of Mining and Reclamationhttps://azdeq.gov/mining
ArkansasDepartment of Environmental Quality, Division of Mining and Reclamationhttps://www.adeq.state.ar.us/mining/
CaliforniaDepartment of Conservation, Division of Mine Reclamationhttps://www.conservation.ca.gov/dmr
ColoradoDepartment of Natural Resources, Division of Reclamation, Mining and Safetyhttps://mining.state.co.us/Pages/Home.aspx
ConnecticutDepartment of Energy and Environmental Protection, Bureau of Natural Resourceshttps://portal.ct.gov/DEEP/Natural-Resources/Natural-Resources
DelawareDepartment of Natural Resources and Environmental Control, Division of Water Resourceshttps://dnrec.alpha.delaware.gov/water/
FloridaDepartment of Environmental Protection, Division of Mining and Reclamationhttps://floridadep.gov/water/mining-mitigation
GeorgiaDepartment of Natural Resources, Environmental Protection Division, Land Protection Branchhttps://epd.georgia.gov/land-protection-branch
HawaiiDepartment of Land and Natural Resources, Engineering Divisionhttp://dlnreng.hawaii.gov/
IdahoDepartment of Lands, Division of Mining and Mineralshttps://www.idl.idaho.gov/mining/
IllinoisDepartment of Natural Resources, Office of Mines and Mineralshttps://www2.illinois.gov/dnr/mines/Pages/default.aspx
IndianaDepartment of Natural Resources, Division of Reclamationhttps://www.in.gov/dnr/reclamation/
IowaDepartment of Natural Resources, Mines and Minerals Bureauhttps://www.iowadnr.gov/Environmental-Protection/Land-Quality/Mining-Minerals
KansasDepartment of Health and Environment, Bureau of Environmental Remediation, Storage Tank Sectionhttp://www.kdheks.gov/tanks/index.html
KentuckyDepartment for Natural Resources, Division of Mine Reclamation and Enforcementhttps://eec.ky.gov/Natural-Resources/Mining/Pages/default.aspx
LouisianaDepartment of Natural Resources, Office of Conservation, Injection and Mining Divisionhttp://www.dnr.louisiana.gov/index.cfm/page/97/n/97
MaineDepartment of Environmental Protection, Bureau of Land Resources, Land Use Planning Commission https://www.maine.gov/dacf/lupc/index.shtml

Maryland

Department of the Environment, Mining Programhttps://mde.maryland.gov/programs/Land/mining/Pages/index.aspx
MassachusettsDepartment of Environmental Protection, Bureau of Waste Site Cleanuphttps://www.mass.gov/orgs/bureau-of-waste-site-cleanup
MichiganDepartment of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy, Oil, Gas, and Minerals Divisionhttps://www.michigan.gov/egle/0,9429,7-135-3311_4111—,00.html
MinnesotaDepartment of Natural Resources, Division of Lands and Mineralshttps://www.dnr.state.mn.us/lands_minerals/index.html
MississippiDepartment of Environmental Quality, Office of Geologyhttps://www.mdeq.ms.gov/geology/
MissouriDepartment of Natural Resources, Division of Geology and Land Surveyhttps://dnr.mo.gov/geology/index.html
MontanaDepartment of Environmental Quality, Division of Mining and Reclamationhttps://deq.mt.gov/Land
NebraskaDepartment of Environment and Energy, Land Quality Divisionhttp://dee.ne.gov/NDEQProg.nsf/OnWeb/LQD
NevadaDepartment of Conservation and Natural Resources, Division of Environmental Protection, Bureau of Mining Regulation and Reclamationhttp://ndep.nv.gov/land/mining
New HampshireDepartment of Environmental Services, Waste Management Division https://www.des.nh.gov/organization/divisions/waste/index.htm

New Jersey

Department of Environmental Protection, Division of Land Use Regulationhttps://www.nj.gov/dep/landuse/
New MexicoEnergy, Minerals and Natural Resources Department, Mining and Minerals Divisionhttps://www.emnrd.state.nm.us/MMD/
New YorkDepartment of Environmental Conservation, Division of Mineral Resourceshttps://www.dec.ny.gov/lands/5071.html
North CarolinaDepartment of Environmental Quality, Division of Energy, Mineral and Land Resourceshttps://deq.nc.gov/about/divisions/energy-mineral-land-resources
North DakotaDepartment of Environmental Quality, Division of Reclamationhttps://deq.nd.gov/Land/Reclamation/
OhioDepartment of Natural Resources, Division of Mineral Resources Managementhttps://ohiodnr.gov/wps/portal/gov/odnr/discover-and-learn/safety-conservation/about-odnr/mineral-resources-management
OklahomaDepartment of Mines, Minerals and Reclamation Divisionhttps://www.ok.gov/mines/Minerals_Program/index.html
OregonDepartment of Geology and Mineral Industries, Mineral Land Regulation and Reclamation Programhttps://www.oregongeology.org/mlrr/index.htm
PennsylvaniaDepartment of Environmental Protection, Bureau of Mining Programshttps://www.dep.pa.gov/Business/Land/Mining/Pages/default.aspx
Rhode IslandDepartment of Environmental Management, Office of Waste Management https://dem.ri.gov/programs/waste-management/

South Carolina

Department of Natural Resources, Division of Geologyhttps://www.dnr.sc.gov/geology/
South DakotaDepartment of Natural Resources and Conservation, Division of Minerals and Earth Resourceshttps://denr.sd.gov/des/mr/default.aspx
TennesseeDepartment of Environment and Conservation, Division of Geologyhttps://www.tn.gov/environment/program-areas/tennessee-geological-survey.html
TexasTexas Commission on Environmental Quality https://www.tceq.texas.gov/
UtahDepartment of Oil, Gas and Mininghttps://ogm.utah.gov/
VermontDepartment of Environmental Conservation, Division of Mineral Resourceshttps://dec.vermont.gov/geological-survey
VirginiaDepartment of Environmental Quality, Division of Mines and Mineralshttps://www.deq.virginia.gov/Programs/LandProtectionRevitalization/MiningPermitting.aspx
WashingtonDepartment of Natural Resources, Division of Geology and Earth Resourceshttps://www.dnr.wa.gov/geology
West VirginiaDepartment of Environmental Protection, Division of Environmental Protectionhttps://dep.wv.gov/Pages/default.aspx
WisconsinDepartment of Natural Resources, Division of Mineral Resourceshttps://dnr.wisconsin.gov/topic/Mines
WyomingDepartment of Environmental Quality, Division of Oil and Gashttp://deq.wyoming.gov/og/

Conclusion

While this list provides an essential starting point for understanding primary mining permitting agencies across the U.S., it’s a mere piece of the broader permitting mosaic. The journey to securing all necessary permits for mining activities is a collaborative one, often requiring the intertwining of state, federal, and local approvals. Being equipped with the right knowledge and understanding the landscape of regulatory bodies can significantly smoothen the path. Always ensure to dive deep into the specific requirements of each region, keeping abreast of evolving regulations, and fostering open communication with relevant agencies to pave the way for a successful and compliant mining venture.

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