HB0043 - Small mine permits and exemption.

 

2001

State of Wyoming

01LSO-0130.E1

ENGROSSED

 

 

 

HOUSE BILL NO.  HB0043

 

 

Small mine permits and exemption.

 

Sponsored by:

 

 

A BILL

 

for

 

 1  AN ACT relating to environmental quality; expanding
 2  exemption from land quality provisions for specified
 3  surface mining operations; excluding top soil from certain
 4  overburden calculations; and providing for an effective
 5  date.

 6 

 7  Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Wyoming:

 8 

 9         Section 1.  W.S. 35-11-401(e)(vi) and (j) is amended
10  to read:

11 

12         35-11-401.  Compliance generally; exceptions.

13 

14         (e)  The provisions of this article shall not apply to
15  any of the following activities:

16 

 

Page  1

 

 

 

 1              (vi)  Surface mining operations, whether
 2  commercial or noncommercial, for the removal of sand,
 3  gravel, scoria, limestone, dolomite, shale, ballast or
 4  feldspar nonmetallic material, except coal, from an area of
 5  ten (10) acres or less of affected land if the operator has
 6  written permission for the operation from the owner and
 7  lessee, if any, of the surface; provided that the operator
 8  shall notify the land quality division of the department of
 9  environmental quality of the location of the land to be
10  mined before commencing operations and if blasting is to
11  occur, the operator shall comply with W.S.
12  35-11-415(b)(xi)(C) and shall provide adequate advance
13  written notice to local governments and residents who might
14  be affected by the use of these explosives by mailing a
15  copy of the proposed blasting schedule to every resident
16  within one-half (1/2) mile of the proposed blasting site;

17 

18         (j)  The council, upon recommendation from the
19  advisory board through the administrator and director, may
20  modify or suspend certain requirements of W.S.
21  35-11-406(a), (b), (d), (f) and (g) by rules and
22  regulations, for surface mining operations involving not
23  more than ten thousand (10,000) yards of overburden and ten
24  (10) acres of affected land in any one (1) year, if the

Page  2

 

 

 

 1  application requirements insure reclamation in accordance
 2  with the purposes of this act. Topsoil shall not be
 3  included within the ten thousand (10,000) yard calculation
 4  of overburden under this subsection.

 5 

 6         Section 2.  This act is effective immediately upon
 7  completion of all acts necessary for a bill to become law
 8  as provided by Article 4, Section 8 of the Wyoming
 9  Constitution.

10 

11                         (END)

 

Page  3