04/28/2025

Senate Bill 181

Lead Sponsors: Senator Shane Wilkin

Status: Introduced (April 23, 2025)

Description: The bill makes several changes to the laws governing mining for underground minerals (defined as limestone or dolomite). Provisions of note to counties include the following:

• Prohibits county and township zoning authorities from requiring an operator obtain a permit or permit amendment for underground mineral mining before applying for zoning approval or otherwise regulating underground mineral mining activity.
  
  
• Allows local authorities to enter into a road improvement agreement with the operator of existing or proposed mining (surface, underground mineral, or in-stream) operator or the operator of an existing or proposed facility related to making finished aggregate products.
  
  
  • The bill does not require the operator to agree to enter into an agreement, however.
    
    
• Increases the severance fee for several natural resources:
  
  
  • For limestone and dolomite, increases from $0.02 per ton to $0.025 per ton and adds an additional $0.0025 per ton for limestone or dolomite mined by underground mineral mining methods, as outlined in the bill.
    
    
  • For sand and gravel, increases from $0.02 per ton to $0.025 per ton.
    
    
  • For clay, sandstone, sandstone conglomerate, shale, gypsum, and quartzite, increases from $0.01 per ton to $0.015 per ton.
• The majority of the revenue from the severe fees that were increased are deposited to the Mining Regulation and Safety Fund, which is used for the reclaimation of land and for mine safety and first aid training.
  
  
  • The revenue from the new $0.0025 per ton fee on limestone and dolomite mined by underground methods goes to the Underground Minerals Mining Fund, which is to be used for addressing surface impacts of underground minerals mining operations.

CCAO Position: No position (as of April 2025)