MARVIN MANDEL, Governor                        1035

and revegetation of all lands disturbed by open-pit mining of
bituminous coal within the State of Maryland. These plans, methods
of procedure, and practical guidelines shall be submitted to the
proper regulatory agency. Finally, the Committee is directed to
review the strip mining laws of the State of Maryland to ensure
compliance with the spirit of this act.

661.

(c) The [Bureau] Director shall investigate every application
for a license or for a renewal, and it HE shall not issue any new open-
pit mining operator's license or renew any existing open-pit mining
operator's license to any person or operator if it HE finds that the
applicant for licensure or renewal has failed to correct a violation of
the rules and regulations established under this subheading or to
comply with any of the provisions of this subheading. If the appli-
cant is a corporation, partnership, or association, the [Bureau]
Director shall not issue such license or renewal if it HE finds that any
officer or director or principal owner of such corporation, partner-
ship or association, has previously failed and continues to fail to
comply with any of the provisions of this subheading, or if any
such officer or director or principal owner is or has been an officer or
director or principal owner of any other corporation, partnership,
or association, which has previously failed and continues to fail to
comply with any of the provisions of this subheading. Nor shall the
Director issue any license or renewal to any person or operator who
has forfeited any bond posted pursuant to strip mining activities
in any state of the United States of America. If the applicant is a
corporation, partnership or association, the Bureau DIRECTOR shall
not issue such license or renewal if it HE finds that any officer or
director or principal owner of such corporation, partnership or asso-
ciation, has previously forfeited any bond posted pursuant to strip
mining activities in any state of the United States of America.

662.

(b-1) In addition to the information and maps otherwise re-
quired by this act, each application for a permit shall be accompa-
nied by a detailed Mining and Reclamation Plan showing the
manner, time and distance for backfilling, drainage, planting and
general reclamation of the area affected. Such reclamation plans
shall be reviewed AND APPROVED by the Land Reclamation Com-
mittee, and if the Committee does not approve the plan, the Director
shall not approve the application involved. Failure of the Committee

to act upon the reclamation plan within sixty (60) days after its

submission to the Director shall constitute approval of the plan.
THE COMMITTEE SHALL HAVE A HEARING WITH THE
OPERATOR WITHIN 15 FIFTEEN DAYS AFTER SUBMIS-
SION OF THE PLAN. AFTER SAID HEARING THE PROPOSED
PLANS SHALL BE APPROVED, REJECTED OR MODIFIED BY
THE COMMITTEE. IF THE COMMITTEE TAKES NO AC