1954-HKRS29-8-21_Part03 — Page 10

Inter- pretation.

2, In this Ordinance, unless the context otherwise requires—

"Commissioner" means the Commissioner of Mines appointed

under the provisions of section 44 and also the Deputy Com missioner of Mines appointed under that section;

"Crown land" means all land other than private land;

"'functions" includes powers and duties;

"mine" includes any place, excavation or working whereon, wherein or whereby an operation in connexion with mining is carried on;

"to mine" means intentionally to win minerals and includes any

operation necessary for the purpose:

"mines officer” means any officer appointed under the provisions

of section 44 i

"mineral" does not include mineral oils, but includes the minerals

classified hereunder~

(a) metalliferous minerals, including antimony, arsenic, bismuth, cerium, copper, cobalt, columbíum, chromium, cadmium, iron, lead, manganese, mercury, molybdenum, nickel, tantalum, tin, tungsten, zinc and all others of a similar nature to any of them, and all ores containing them and combinations of any of them with each other or with any other substance, excepting only those that occur in the form of precious minerals;

(b) combustible carbonaceous minerals, including-

(i) coal;

(ii) lignite including brown coal and any coal which the Governor may declare to be lignite if advised by the Superintendent that the estimated average ash con- tent is so high or the estimated average thermal value is so low that such coal may properly be classed as lignite;

(c) non-metallic minerals, including minerals used for their abrasive or refractory qualities and asbestos, barytes, bauxite, china clay, fuller's earth, graphite, gypsum, marble, mica, nitrates, phosphates, piperlay, potash, salt, slate, soda, sulphur, ralc and all other substances of a similar nature to any of them;

(d) precious minerals including-

(i) precious stones, namely: amber, amethyst, beryl, cat's eye, chrysolite, diamond, emerald, garnet, opal, ruby, sapphire, turquoise and all other substances of a similar nature to any of them;

(ii) precious metals, namely: gold, silver and metals of the platinoid group in the unmanufactured state, including ores containing such metal, but not includ- ing ores containing any such metal in combination with another mineral when such metal cannot be worked apart from such mineral and the value of such metal is less than the cost of producing both the metal and the mineral; and

(iii) radio-active minerals, namely pitch-blende and other

ores of uranium;

(2) the valuable parts of ores or other substances when

unmanufactured; and

(f) the product of treating or dressing ores or other substances

for marketing or export;

"mineral oil** includes pitch, asphalt and natural gas;

"owner", in its application to land, means the person entitled to the land under Crown Lease or agreement for lease or other form of valid title from the Crown;

"pollute" includes any contamination with any chemical or any other substance in such a quantity as to be injurious to human, animal or vegetable life;

"private land" means land held under lease, agreement for lease, tenancy agreement, licence, permit, deed of appropriation, or other valid title from the Crown, and also land occupied by Her Majesty's Forces under lease, licence, permit requisition or other permanent or temporary title;

"prospect" and "prospecting" mean to search for minerals and also such working as is reasonably necessary to enable the prospector to test the mineral-bearing qualities of the land, but do not include the removal of overburden from ground which can reasonably be sampled by pits not exceeding seven feet in depth or by bore-boles;