New bills seek change to mine inspector law

By TOM LAVENTURE

tlaventure@yourdailyglobe.com

LANSING — Gogebic County and other Upper Peninsula counties without active iron or copper mines for decades have had difficulty finding qualified candidates for elected mining inspectors. Legislation introduced to the Michigan Legislature would revise those requirements to help ensure safety and accountability, according to a Friday announcement.

Senate Bill 1121 sponsor Sen. Ed McBroom, R-Waucedah Township, and House Bill 6240 sponsor Rep. Greg Markkanen, R-Hancock, are seeking to remove a state requirement that mining inspectors have at least 10 years of experience in the profession in order to be elected. Counties with only abandoned or idled mines have been challenged to fill the position with eligible candidates.

The bills would also permit counties to form agreements to share mining inspectors.

“With more than 800 abandoned mine sites in the U.P., it is an important safety issue for our local units to be aware of and be able to timely inspect these areas,” McBroom said in the announcement. “When the Western U.P. counties shared that they were having difficulty finding eligible individuals to serve because of restrictions in the state law, it seemed appropriate to look at making necessary and reasonable updates.”

Gogebic County Administrator Juliane Giackino stated that the legislation would help the western counties.

“The current law has made it difficult to find qualified individuals that meet the eligibility requirements to serve as our county mining inspector,” Giackino said. “Also, being able to share inspectors should also assist the counties. We need to keep people safe.”

Gerry Pelissero, clerk of court and register of deeds for Gogebic County, said the county has not had an elected mining inspector since 2012. The job also has its challenges with determining and tracking down who actually owned the mineral rights to the property.

“We certainly had people who were interested but nobody has met the requirements of 10 years of mining experience or a degree,” Pelissero said.

The Copper and Iron Mine Inspectors Act 163 sets election terms at four years and qualifications to include being a citizen of this state, English language proficiency and not being employed or affiliated with a mining company while elected. The act requires the inspector to have 10 years of actual experience in mining, or to have a mining engineer degree, or equivalent, with at least two years of experience working in the industry.

Jeff Randall, the Bessemer Township supervisor which includes Ramsay, said that a mining inspector could certainly be beneficial. He said it would be important to empower the inspector job with authority and funding.

“It is a very tough job,” Randall said. “The previous mining inspectors have had a hard time chasing down ownership and responsibility.”

County mining inspectors serve an important role of regularly inspecting abandoned, closed or idled mines, according to the news release. Among other responsibilities, the inspectors check for appropriate fencing needs and monitor for caving ground.

“The U.P. has a long and storied mining tradition that is experiencing a rebirth after years of decline,” Markkanen said. “While this is great news for our people and the economy, we must be mindful of ensuring that past mining areas remain known and safe for the public who may encounter them.”

SB 1121 was referred to the Senate Natural Resources Committee for consideration, while HB 6240 was referred to the House Committee on Regulatory Reform.