“Environmental assessment” means the study of the environment of an area proposed to be mined including the flora, fauna, geologic, erosion potential and other factors deemed to be important by qualified experts of appropriate disciplines.

“Environmental impact report” means a report on the environmental effects of a project prepared according to the standards and provisions of the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA).

“Exploration” or “prospecting” means the search for minerals by geological, geophysical, geochemical or other techniques, including, but not limited to, sampling, assaying, drilling, or any surface or underground works needed to determine the type, extent or quality of minerals present.

“General plan” means the adopted general plan for the city of Marina.

“Local coastal program” means the adopted local coastal land use and implementation plans for the city as certified by the California Coastal Commission.

“Mined lands” includes the surface, subsurface and groundwater of an area in which surface mining operations will be, are being, or have been conducted, including private ways and roads appurtenant to any such area, land excavations, workings, mining waste, and areas in which structures, facilities, equipment, machines, tools, or other materials or property which result from, or are used in, surface mining operations are located.

“Minerals” means any naturally occurring chemical element or compound or groups of elements and compounds, formed from inorganic processes and organic substances, including, but not limited to, sand, but excluding geothermal resources, natural gas and petroleum.

“Mining waste” means and includes the residual of soil, rock, mineral liquid, vegetation, equipment, machines, tools or other materials or property directly resulting from, or displaced by, surface mining operations.

“New mining” means and includes any significant increase in the rate of extraction or change in location.

“Operator” means any person who is engaged in surface mining operations himself, or who contracts with others to conduct operations on his behalf.

“Overburden” means soil, rock or other materials that lie above a natural mineral deposit or in between deposits, before or after their removal, by surface mining operations.

“Permit” means any formal authorization from or approval by the city without which surface mining operations cannot occur.

“Person” means any individual, firm, association, corporation, organization or partnership, or any city, county, district or the state or any department or agency thereof.

“Reclamation” means the process of land treatment that minimizes water degradation, air pollution, damage to aquatic or wildlife habitat, flooding, erosion, and other adverse effects from surface mining operations, including adverse surface effects incidental to underground mines, so that mined lands are reclaimed to a usable condition which is readily adaptable for alternate land uses and create no danger to public health or safety. The process may extend to affected lands surrounding mined lands, and may require backfilling, grading, resoiling, revegetation, soil compaction, stabilization, or other measures.

“State Board” means State Mining and Geology Board in the Department of Conservation, State of California.

“State Geologist” means the individual holding office as structured in Section 677 of Article 3, Chapter 2 of Division 1 of the Public Resources Code.

“Surface mining operations” means all or any part of the process involved in the mining of minerals on mined lands by removing overburden and mining directly from the mineral deposits, open-pit mining of minerals naturally exposed, mining by the auger method, dredging and quarrying, or surface work incidental to an underground mine. Surface mining operations shall include, but are not limited to: (1) in-place distillation, retorting or leaching; (2) the production and disposal of mining waste; and (3) prospecting and exploratory activities. (Ord. 2020-07 § 2, 2020; Zoning Ordinance dated 7/94, 1994)