Catch-22 in California budget language may doom suction dredge mining

SacBee ^ | Jun. 2, 2011 | Carlos Alcalá

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A legislative Catch-22 may put a permanent stop to controversial suction dredge mining, which has been halted by a moratorium since 2009.

Budget language approved in May by committees in both houses of the California Legislature would extend the moratorium for five years, or until there are sufficient regulations to mitigate all impacts of the dredging and a fee structure to cover program costs.

At the same time, the language would prohibit the state Department of Fish and Game – which administers suction dredging – from spending any money to develop regulations to end the moratorium.

Read more: http://www.sacbee.com/2011/06/02/3670603/catch-22-in-california-budget.html#ixzz1O7x9xL9M

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Talk about lousy legislation...also from the article:

"We just have a lot more higher and more important things to find funding for," said Assembly member Jared Huffman, D-San Rafael, who pushed the language in the lower house.