Coastal Panel Told It Cannot Block Mining on U.S. Land
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SAN FRANCISCO — The California Coastal Commission has no power to block mining on federal land in the state coastal zone, a federal appeals court ruled today.
Requiring mining companies to get a permit from the state commission conflicts with “the federal policy to encourage mining on federal lands,” said the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals.
The court said the U.S. Forest Service already sets environmental standards for mining on federal land. California could pass additional, more stringent environmental restrictions but cannot impose a “second tier of permit authority,” the court said.
Reversing a lower-court ruling, the panel said Granite Rock Co. could continue mining limestone at Pico Blanco in the Los Padres National Forest.
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