(1) “Affected agency” includes permitting agencies, cooperating agencies and commenting agencies.
(2) “Baseline data” means information gathered to characterize the natural and cultural environments of a mining operation site before a mining operation begins.
(3) “Commenting agency” means any agency that makes recommendations to the State Department of Geology and Mineral Industries or to a permitting agency regarding permit conditions or whether to approve or deny a permit under the consolidated application process established under ORS 517.952 (Definitions for ORS 517.952 to 517.989) to 517.989 (Rules applicable to consolidated application).
(4) “Consolidated application” means the single application required under ORS 517.971 (Consolidated application).
(5) “Environmental evaluation” means an analysis prepared under ORS 517.979 (Environmental evaluation) to address specific impacts of the mining operation to allow affected agencies to develop permit conditions.
(6) “Gravity separation” means the separation of mineral particles, with the aid of water or air, according to the differences in the specific gravities of the particles.
(7) “Mining operation” means a surface or underground mine that processes, produces or reclaims metal ore using a method other than, or in addition to, gravity separation to process the ore.
(e) Compensating for the impact by replacing or providing comparable substitute resources or environments.
(9) “Permitting agency” means an agency that has a separate permitting authority for a mining operation.
(10) “Project coordinating committee” means the interagency governmental committee established in accordance with ORS 517.965 (Project coordinating committee).