208                             LAWS OF MARYLAND                       [CH. 144

(d)    He shall seal off with a fill all openings from underground
mining operations at the base of the final cut. The sealing off with
a fill shall be done in such a way as to avoid creating danger from
the impoundment of large quantities of water.

(e)    If the operator proposes to impound water to provide lakes
or ponds for wildlife, recreational or water supply purposes, he shall
file formal request with the Department of Water Resources and
receive approval before the ponds or lakes may be created in BY im-
pounding water.

(f)    An operator, with the written approval of the landowner,
except where leases in existence on June 1, 1967, do not so provide
or permit, may propose alternative plans for reclamation wherein
the land can be used for suitable purposes. The alternate plans
shall be submitted to the Director, and if they are approved by the
Director and complied with within the times herein prescribed for
backfilling and planting, or such other time limits as may be agreed
upon as being reasonable for carrying out the plans, the backfilling
and planting requirements shall be waived by the Bureau. Wher-
ever reasonable and practicable, the Bureau shall require backfilling
and planting as the open pit mining progresses. All backfilling shall
be completed before backfilling equipment is moved from the opera-
tion.

666. Completion Report.

(a)     Within thirty (30) days after the operation is finished or
abandoned, the operator shall file with the Bureau of Mines, a com-
pletion report, on a form to be prescribed and furnished by the
Director, identifying the operation, stating the area of land affected
by open pit mining, and stating whether the operator intends to
carry on deep mining upon the premises. The operator shall attach
to the completion report a map of the operation certified by a sur-
veyor, showing the boundary lines of the tract or tracts, the access
to the operation from the nearest public highway, the area of land
affected by open pit mining, and the locations resevred RESERVED
for deep mining.

(b)    If the operator or other person desires to conduct deep min-
ing upon the premises or to use the openings for haulageways or
other lawful purposes, the operator may designate locations, subject
to the approval of the Director, to be used for such purposes, at
which places it will not be necessary to backfill as herein provided
for until the deep mining or other use is completed, during which
time the bond on file for that portion of such operation shall not
be released. The area of each reserved opening and its location shall
be described in the completion report and designated on the map
attached thereto. When the backfilling and all necessary grading
prior to planting have been completed on that portion of the entire
area of land affected by the operation for the previous years, and
reports filed by the inspector certify that it has been done in the
manner prescribed by law, the Director shall release the bond which
was filed for that portion of such operation in its full amount less
fifty dollars ($50.00) per acre, which shall be retained by the Di-
rector until such time as the planting is completed and certified by
the State Forester as being done in a workmanlike manner, at which
time the Director shall release the bond in the remaining amount of
fifty dollars ($50.00) per acre.