Summary

This review discusses permits required in several U.S. states, including Alaska, Montana, California, and Wisconsin. Federal permits and Environmental Impact Statements are also covered.

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INTRODUCTION

If you do not have the right permits, you cannot mine. Sometimes permits are called licenses. The universe of permits that the average mine needs to get is vast. In most instance the suite of permits you need is location, i.e., jurisdiction, specific. In this review I address mine permitting only in the United States. At least in the US there is a transparent process. Elsewhere this is not necessarily the case, so nothing definitive can be said-other than hire lawyers, lobbyists, and politicians.

Thus in this review, I make no attempt to list all the permits you will require. Instead, I simply review the basic requirements, provide some general guidelines, and point you to links where you can find more information specific to your situation.

ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT STATEMENTS

Never confuse the environmental impact assessment process with permitting. They are not the same thing. Having successfully met federal and/or state and/or local laws and regulations relating to undertaking an environmental impact assessment of your mine, means nothing as far as the permitting process is concerned. It is generally the case that you won't get your permits until you have successfully completed the EIS/EA process, but that is a sequencing issue, not a fundamental issue of law-or permitting per se.