Page:United States Statutes at Large Volume 91.djvu/517

 PUBLIC LAW 95-87—AUG. 3, 1977

91 STAT. 483

permit to iiiiiie on prime farmland if the regulatory authority finds in writing that the operator has the technological capability to restore such mined area, within a reasonable time, to equivalent or higher levels of yield as non-mined prime farmland in the surrounding area under e(iuivalent levels of management and can meet the soil reconstruction standards in Section 515(b)(7). P^xcept for compliance with subsection (b), the requirements of this paragraph (1) shall apply to all permits issued after the date of enactment of this Act. (2) Nothing in this subsection shall apply to any permit issued prior to the date of enactment of this Act, or to any revisions or renewals thereof, or to any existing surface mining operations for which a permit was issued prior to the date of enactment of this Act. REVISION OF PERMITS

SEC. 511. (a)(1) During the term of the permit the permittee may 30 USC 1261. submit an application for a revision of the permit, together with a revised reclamation plan, to the regulatory authority. (2) An application for a revision of a permit shall not be approved unless the regulatory authority finds that reclamation as required by this Act and t:he State or Federal program can be accomplished under the revised reclamation plan. The revision shall be approved or disapprov^ed within a period of time established by the State or Federal program. The regulatory authority shall establish guidelines for a Guidelines. determination of the scale or extent of a revision request for which all Notice and permit application information requirements and procedures, includ- hearing. ing notice and hearings, shall apply: Provided, That any revisions which propose significant alterations in the reclamation plan shall, at a minimum, be subject to notice and hearing requirements. (3) Any extensions to the area covered by the permit except incidental boundary revisions must be made by application for another permit. (b) No transfer, assignment, or sale of the rights granted under any permit issued pursuant to this Act shall be made without the written approval of the regulatory authority. (c) The regulatory authority shall within a time limit prescribed in regulations promulgated by the regulatory authority, review outstanding permits and may require reasonable revision or modification of the permit provisions during the term of such permit: Provided, That such revision or modification shall be based upon a written finding and subject to notice and hearing requirements established by the State or Federal program. COAL EXPLORATION PERMITS

SEC. 512. (a) Each State or Federal program shall include a require- Regulations. ment that coal exploration operations which substantially disturb the 30 USC 1262. natural land surface be conducted in accordance with exploration regulations issued by the regulatory authority. Such regulations shall Gontents. include, at a minimum (1) the requirement that prior to conducting any exploration under this section, any person must file with the regulatory authority notice of intention to explore and such notice shall include a description of the exploration area and the period of supposed exploration and (2) provisions for reclamation in accordance with the performance standards in section 515 of this Act of all lands disturbed in exploration, including excavations, roads, drill holes, and the removal of necessary facilities and equipment.

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