Minnesota Statutes 298.48 – Mineral Rights; Exploration Data; Filing Requirements; Penalties
Subdivision 1.Annual filing.
By April 1 each year, every owner or lessee of mineral rights who, in respect thereto, has engaged in any exploration for or mining of taconite, semitaconite, or iron-sulphide shall file with the commissioner of revenue all data of the following kinds in the possession or under the control of the owner or lessee which was acquired during the preceding calendar year:
Attorney's Note
Under the Minnesota Statutes, punishments for crimes depend on the classification. In the case of this section:| Class | Prison | Fine |
|---|---|---|
| Gross misdemeanor | up to 1 year | up to $3,000 |
| Misdemeanor | up to 90 days | up to $1,000 |
Terms Used In Minnesota Statutes 298.48
- Commissioner: means the commissioner of revenue of the state of Minnesota, except that when used in sections 298. See Minnesota Statutes 298.001
- court administrator: means the court administrator of the court in which the action or proceeding is pending, and "court administrator's office" means that court administrator's office. See Minnesota Statutes 645.44
- Person: means individuals, fiduciaries, estates, trusts, partnerships, companies, joint stock companies, corporations, and all associations. See Minnesota Statutes 298.001
- Semitaconite: means altered iron formation, altered taconite, ferruginous chert, or ferruginous slate which has been oxidized and partially leached and in which the iron oxide is so finely disseminated that substantially all of the iron-bearing particles of merchantable grade are smaller than 20 mesh and which is not merchantable as iron ore in its natural state, and which cannot be made merchantable by simple methods of beneficiation involving only crushing, screening, washing, jigging, heavy media separation, spirals, cyclones, drying, or any combination thereof. See Minnesota Statutes 298.001
- state: extends to and includes the District of Columbia and the several territories. See Minnesota Statutes 645.44
- Subpoena: A command to a witness to appear and give testimony.
- Taconite: means ferruginous chert or ferruginous slate in the form of compact, siliceous rock, in which the iron oxide is so finely disseminated that substantially all of the iron-bearing particles of merchantable grade are smaller than 20 mesh and which is not merchantable as iron ore in its natural state, and which cannot be made merchantable by simple methods of beneficiation involving only crushing, screening, washing, jigging, drying, or any combination thereof. See Minnesota Statutes 298.001
(a) Maps and other records indicating the location, character and extent of exploration for taconite, semitaconite, or iron-sulphides;
(b) Logs, notes and other records indicating the nature of minerals encountered during the course of exploration;
(c) The results of any analyses of metallurgical tests or samples taken in connection with exploration;
(d) The ultimate pit layout and the supporting cross sections; and
(e) Any other data which the commissioner of revenue may determine to be relevant to the determination of the location, nature, extent, quality or quantity of unmined ores of said minerals. The commissioner of revenue may compel submission of the data. The court administrator of any court of record, upon demand of the commissioner, shall issue a subpoena for the production of any data before the commissioner. Disobedience of subpoenas issued under this section shall be punished by the district court of the district in which the subpoena is issued as for a contempt of the district court.
Subd. 2.Use of data.
Notwithstanding any other law to the contrary, the commissioner of revenue may use any data filed pursuant to subdivision 1 and any similar data otherwise obtained to the extent and in the manner the commissioner deems necessary to project the future availability, value, and utilization of the metallic mineral resources of this state. In making such projections the commissioner of revenue may consult with, and provide data as deemed appropriate to, the commissioner of natural resources.
Subd. 3.Penalties.
Any owner or lessee of mineral rights who fails, neglects or refuses to make any filing required by this section is guilty of a gross misdemeanor.
Subd. 4.Confidential nature of information.
The data filed pursuant to subdivision 1 shall be considered confidential for three years from the date it is filed with the commissioner. Nothing herein contained shall be construed to prohibit the commissioner from disclosing information or publishing statistics so classified as not to disclose the identity of particular data.
Notwithstanding the other provisions of this subdivision, the commissioner may furnish any information supplied under this section to the commissioner of natural resources, the commissioner of employment and economic development, or a county assessor. Any person violating the provisions of this section shall be guilty of a gross misdemeanor.