1834                             Joint Resolutions

Resolved by the General Assembly of Maryland, That the Governor
of Maryland be requested to abolish the Governor's Interdepart-
mental Council and Advisory Committee on the Handicapped and
appoint a commission to study the needs of the handicapped; and,
be it further

Resolved, That the Commission be composed of not more than
fifteen members, including representatives of the medical and teach-
ing professions, State and local administrative agencies, interested
voluntary organizations and the General Assembly of Maryland;
and, be it further

Resolved, That copies of this Resolution are sent (under the Great
Seal of the State of Maryland) to the Governor of Maryland and to the
Governor's Interdepartmental Council and Advisory Committee on
the Handicapped.

Approved May 6, 1971.

No. 30
(House Joint Resolution 22)

House Joint Resolution requesting the Department of Natural
Resources to undertake a study of the problems of supply and
availability of mineral resources and the parallel problem of
ways of minimizing the effects of surface mining on the environ-
ment.

Whereas, Maryland is experiencing unprecedented growth in
population necessitating an ever-increasing amount of land for hous-
ing and development; and

Whereas, This growth demands an ever-increasing supply of
mineral resources as raw materials in housing, schools, roads and
industrial applications; and

Whereas, There is a finite supply of mineral resources and useable
minerals are found only in geologically favorable terrains; and

Whereas, Surface mining of minerals and other land uses are
frequently in conflict with one another resulting in many cases with
the pre-emption of one use by the other; and

Whereas, Such pre-emption by other land uses is probably elimi-
nating much more mineral land that than is being depleted by extrac-
tion; and

Whereas, Surface mining by its very nature requires the disturb-
ance of the ground, sometimes producing deleterious off-site effects;
and

Whereas, No State-wide laws are now in effect with regard to
the regulation of the surface mining industry, WITH THE EXCEP-
TION OF COAL; now, therefore, be it