Bill No.:                     HB0055                                 Drafter:  MDO

LSO No.:                   13LSO-0302                         Effective Date:  7/1/2013

Enrolled Act No.:    HEA0104

Chapter No.:            CH0187

Prime Sponsor:       Representative Greear

Catch Title:              Surface mining operations-exemptions.

Subject:                     Suspension of certain requirements of the Environmental Quality Act for small mining operations.

Summary/Major Elements:

· Currently, a small mining operation is exempt from certain permitting requirements contained in the Environmental Quality Act if the mining operation will remove 10,000 yards of overburden a year, or less, and affect 10 acres or less a year.

· This act increases the amount of overburden which can be removed in a given year to 35,000 yards, excluding topsoil, under the small mining operation exemptions.

· Specifies that roads used to access the small mining operation are not to be considered “affected land” for the purposes of the 10 acres of affected land exemption.