Title 46

NRS 519A.045 “Beneficiation” defined. “Beneficiation” means the dressing or processing of ores to: 1. Regulate the size of a desired product; 2. Remove unwanted constituents; and 3. Improve the quality, purity or assay grade of a desired product. (Added to NRS by 2025, 1320)

NRS 519A.050 “Commission” defined. “Commission” means the State Environmental Commission. (Added to NRS by 1989, 1281)

NRS 519A.055 “Discharge” defined. “Discharge” has the meaning ascribed to it in NRS 445A.345. (Added to NRS by 2025, 1320)

NRS 519A.060 “Division” defined. “Division” means the Division of Environmental Protection of the State Department of Conservation and Natural Resources. (Added to NRS by 1989, 1281)

NRS 519A.070 “Exploration project” defined. “Exploration project” means all activities conducted in this state by a person on or beneath the surface of land for the purpose of, or in connection with, determining the presence, location, extent, depth or grade of any mineral, which…

NRS 519A.073 “Facility” defined. “Facility” means all portions of a mining operation, including, without limitation, the mine, waste rock piles, ore piles, process components for beneficiation, processed ore disposal sites, and all associated buildings and structures. The term do…

NRS 519A.075 “Fluid management system” defined. “Fluid management system” means the portion of a facility constructed to contain or transport process fluids. (Added to NRS by 2025, 1320)

NRS 519A.080 “Mining operation” defined. “Mining operation” means all activities conducted in this state by a person on or beneath the surface of land for the purpose of, or in connection with, the development or extraction of any mineral. The term does not include an aggregate o…

NRS 519A.090 “Operator” defined. “Operator” means any person who owns, controls or manages an exploration project or a mining operation. (Added to NRS by 1989, 1282)

NRS 519A.093 “Point source” defined. “Point source” means any discernible, confined and discrete conveyance from which pollutants are or may be discharged, including, without limitation, any pipe, ditch, channel, conduit, well, discrete fissure, container, rolling stock, concentr…

NRS 519A.095 “Process component” defined. “Process component” means the distinct portion of a constructed facility which is a point source. (Added to NRS by 2025, 1320)

NRS 519A.097 “Process fluid” defined. “Process fluid” means any liquid, including, without limitation, meteoric waters, which are intentionally or unintentionally introduced into any part of a process component for beneficiation. (Added to NRS by 2025, 1320)

NRS 519A.100 “Reclamation” defined. “Reclamation” means actions performed during or after an exploration project or mining operation to: 1. Shape, stabilize, revegetate or otherwise treat the land in order to return it to a safe, stable condition consistent with the establishment…

NRS 519A.110 “Small exploration project” defined. “Small exploration project” means an exploration project which is limited to a surface disturbance of not more than 5 acres in any calendar year. To determine the area of the surface disturbed, all land disturbed and left unreclai…

NRS 519A.120 “Small mining operation” defined. “Small mining operation” means a person who disturbs less than 5 acres of land in any calendar year. To determine the area of the surface disturbed, all land disturbed and left unreclaimed by an operator within a 1-mile radius of the…

NRS 519A.125 “Stabilize” defined. “Stabilize” means the condition in which a contaminant in a material or process fluid is bound, contained or treated so that the contaminant does not exhibit a potential to adversely impact human health, public safety or the environment. (Added t…

NRS 519A.130 “Surety” defined. “Surety” means, but is not limited to, a trust fund, surety bonds that guarantee performance or payment into a trust fund or an account held by or for the benefit of the Division, letters of credit, insurance or any combination of these or other for…

NRS 519A.140 Duties of Division. The Division shall: 1. Administer and enforce the provisions of NRS 519A.010 to 519A.280, inclusive, and the regulations adopted by the Commission pursuant to NRS 519A.160. 2. Employ persons who are experienced and qualified in the area of reclama…

NRS 519A.150 Powers of Division. The Division may: 1. Conduct or authorize investigations, research, experiments and demonstrations relating to reclamation. 2. Collect and disseminate nonconfidential information relating to mining reclamation. 3. Enter into agreements relating to…

NRS 519A.160 Regulations of Commission. The Commission shall adopt regulations: 1. Establishing reasonable fees, based on the actual cost of administration and enforcement, to be charged by the Division for an application for and the issuance of a permit, the rates of which must …

NRS 519A.170 Fees: Disposition; interest. All fees collected by the Division pursuant to this chapter, including, without limitation, the fees for an application for and the issuance of a permit, must be deposited with the State Treasurer for credit to the appropriate account of …

NRS 519A.180 Permit required. A person shall not engage in an exploration project without a valid permit for that purpose issued by the Division. (Added to NRS by 1989, 1284)

NRS 519A.190 Application for permit: Contents; fee; conditions; bond; grounds for denial; issuance. 1. A person who desires to engage in an exploration project must: (a) File with the Division, upon a form approved by it, an application for a permit. The application must include:…

NRS 519A.200 Permit required. A person shall not engage in a mining operation without a valid permit for that purpose issued by the Division. (Added to NRS by 1989, 1284)

NRS 519A.210 Application for permit: Contents; fee; conditions; bond; grounds for denial; issuance. 1. A person who desires to engage in a mining operation must: (a) File with the Division, upon a form approved by it, an application for a permit for each location at which the per…

NRS 519A.220 Applicant to complete checklist for permit; contents. The Division shall develop a checklist to be completed by applicants for a permit to engage in a mining operation. The information requested by the checklist must include: 1. Information relating to the plan for r…

NRS 519A.230 Provisions of plan for reclamation; inclusion of pit lake in plan; exceptions; immunity of protected person from liability. 1. A plan for reclamation must provide: (a) That reclamation activities, particularly those relating to the control of erosion, must be conduct…

NRS 519A.240 Requirements for mining operation or exploration project conducted wholly or partly on federal land. 1. If a mining operation or exploration project is conducted, in whole or in part, on land administered by a federal agency, a federal plan of operations and a surety…

NRS 519A.250 Operator required to provide Division of Minerals copy of filing of plan of operation or amended plan submitted to federal agency; fee; refund for reduction of acres disturbed; biennial report by Division of Minerals; regulations. 1. An operator who is required by fe…

NRS 519A.260 Annual submission of reports and payment of fees by operator; disposition of money received. 1. Each operator shall, on or before April 15 of each year, submit to the Administrator a report relating to the status and production of all mining operations and exploratio…

NRS 519A.270 Notice of noncompliance; method of service; contents; hearing. If the Division has reason to believe that any provision of NRS 519A.010 to 519A.280, inclusive, a plan for reclamation, any condition placed on a plan for reclamation or any regulation adopted by the Com…

NRS 519A.273 Violations: Provisions concerning stabilization of process fluids; order of temporary suspension; contents; method of service; hearing. 1. If the Division has reasonable cause to believe, based on evidence satisfactory to the Division, that a holder of a permit is vi…

NRS 519A.277 Lien on real and personal property of a holder of a permit; notice; amount; priority; release of lien; action to foreclose lien. 1. The Division may lien all real and personal property, tangible and intangible, associated with a facility of a holder of a permit under…

NRS 519A.280 Penalties; disposition of money; injunctions and other remedies. 1. Except as otherwise provided in NRS 445C.010 to 445C.120, inclusive, a person who violates any provision of NRS 519A.010 to 519A.280, inclusive, or any regulation adopted by the Commission pursuant t…

NRS 519A.290 Development and administration of program by Division of Minerals; requirements for program; regulations; action to recover costs incurred by program. 1. The Division of Minerals of the Commission on Mineral Resources shall develop and administer a program providing …