Providing for the regulation of mining, making penalties applicable, and including effective date provisions

GENERAL —— REGULATIONS. This bill amends provisions in Code chapter 208 regulating the mining of minerals, including surface mining and underground mining, other than for coal, and provides requirements for the reclamation of lands at the mine site.4). Code chapter 208 regulates a person engaged in and controlling the mining operation (operator).15).28). The bonding provisions include requirements for the posting of one bond covering multiple mine sites, and the cancellation or forfeiture of the bond. 17). GENERAL —— ENFORCEMENT AND PENALTIES.26). The division may issue an order directing an operator to desist in an activity that constitutes a violation of Code chapter 208.10A).10A). BILL’S PROVISIONS —— SUBSIDENCE.2). The bill requires the operator to notify the division within hours of the discovery of a subsidence. The operator must submit an initial assessment of the subsidence and a subsidence repair plan to the division, including a detailed description of the proposed methods and steps to address and repair the damage caused by the subsidence as approved by a licensed professional engineer. BILL’S PROVISIONS —— BONDING. The bill provides that regardless of whether an operator posts a number of multiple bonds each for a single mine site or a single bond for multiple mine sites, the total amount of the multiple bonds combined or the single bond shall be applied only to cover the costs of completing the reclamation of land identified on the applicable bond forms or form.