OREGON'S MINERAL AND METAllURGICAL INDUSTRY IN 1970

In 1970 mineral production ranked third in dollar value among the notural resources produced in Oregon, outshodowed only by agricul-ture and forestry. The state also is rapidly becoming a major proces-sor of metollurgical products, with most of the raw materials coming from points outside of Oregon. Another "natural resource " related to the mineral industry is the group of professional geologists and engineers living in the state who are not only knowledgeable about the state's minerol resources but find that they are being called upon more and more to help in the solution of a wide range of environment-al problems. Included in this issue is a summary of the Department's proposed activities for the next biennium, which starts in July. A rapidly changing world requires new approaches, presents new problems, and offers novel solutions. Some of the Department's programs are long range but some are brand new. Oregon's mineral and metollurgical industries contributed more than $700 million to the state's economy during 1970. Mineral production declined 3.3 percent below the 1969 level to $58.2 million but metallurgical proc-essing of ores originating in the state and imported from other states in-creased significantly. The construction of a third aluminum plant in the state, scheduled to start in early 1971, will boost production figures even higher. In response to increased regulations for controlling pollution, the min-ing and metallurgical industries have been spending and will continue to spend millions of dollars in effluent treatment and stack-emission control equipment, plus new solid-woste disposal methods. The slow-down in the over-all economy has been reflected in the slight decline in the state's mineral production, which is summarized i