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Committee approves $900,000 request to modernize state mine inspector database and abandoned‑mine mapping
Summary
The committee returned House Bill 22‑69 to fund the State Mine Inspector’s office to replace legacy software, digitize records and enable shared mapping of active, closed and abandoned mines; the inspector said the office currently uses decades‑old systems and estimates roughly 100,000 abandoned mine openings statewide.
State Mine Inspector Paul Marsh told the committee House Bill 22‑69 would modernize the agency’s recordkeeping and mapping systems, replacing legacy FileMaker Pro and Microsoft Access workflows with an integrated database and GIS tools. Marsh said the office oversees mine inspections, abandoned mine closures, reclamation and MSHA training and currently runs separate systems that “do not talk to each other.”
Scope and costs: Marsh said the budget request is $852,000 but the office asked for $900,000 to cover digitizing some 3,000 legacy paper files; about $98,000 is for recurring licensing fees. The upgrade would allow inspectors to upload field photos and GPS coordinates from mobile devices and share data with other agencies such as ADEQ, Arizona Game and Fish and ADOA.
Public safety context: Marsh emphasized the public‑safety need: the office estimates about 100,000 mine openings statewide and currently has roughly 12,000 sites in its database. He described shafts found along trails and roads, including a 280‑foot mine with a Kia minivan at the bottom and other sites where dogs or people have fallen in.
Committee action: The committee returned HB 22‑69 with a due‑pass recommendation, 10‑0, and members praised the inspector’s pitch while noting the request had been refined from prior submissions and would save staff hours by reducing duplicated data entry.
Ending: The bill now goes to the House floor; the State Mine Inspector’s office said the modernized system would improve interagency coordination and field productivity and allow future use of drone‑based detection tools.
