News Release No. 352

NEW SAND AND GRAVEL RULES WILL HELP PROTECT WATER QUALITY

Volume 32-352

Contact: Renee Bungart

(For immediate release)

573-751-4465

JEFFERSON CITY, MO, NOV. 1, 2004 -- The Missouri Department of Natural Resources will use new mining rules for sand and gravel mining. The department's Land Reclamation Program is responsible for permitting and inspecting operators throughout the life of their sand and gravel mining activities. While there is some disagreement about whether or not such mining in Missouri streams should be allowed, there is general consensus among both the industry and environmental groups that fair and consistent standards are needed.

"The purpose of these new rules is to set standards to protect Missouri streams while allowing the extraction of sand and gravel resources from the stream environment," said Steve Mahfood, Missouri Department of Natural Resources director.

The new rule requires that operators stay out of the flowing water of a stream so that aquatic life is not disturbed and requires that the stream dynamics of the water movement not be altered. The rule also requires that the protective bank vegetation will be left intact. This will aid in the control of erosion of the adjacent lands during high water events.

Commercial operators who extract and sell sand and gravel will be subject to this rulemaking. Private landowners that mine these products for personal use are exempt from the law. Two other exemptions include the military and any political subdivision. These exemptions allow sand and gravel mining without a permit, and without regulatory review by the department's Land Reclamation Program.

As each sand and gravel permit is renewed or issued over the next twelve months, the new standards will be incorporated into the permit.

The Land Reclamation Commission appointed a 44-member workgroup to draft these standards. The workgroup included representatives from industry, concerned environmental organizations, public citizens, members of the legislature and staff, representatives of public agencies, local governments and landowners. These standards have been published as rules through the Secretary of State. The new rule citations are 10 CSR 40-10.020 and 050 and became effective Oct. 1.

For more information on the new Sand and Gravel Rules, contact the department's Land Reclamation Program at 800-361-4827 or 573-751-4041.

For news releases on the Web, visit www.dnr.mo.gov/newsrel. For a complete listing of the department's upcoming meetings, hearings and events, visit the department's online calendar at www.dnr.mo.gov/calendar/search.do.

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