1132

LAWS OF MARYLAND

Ch. 391

[(h)] (G) An owner of either surface rights or mineral
rights may not interfere with an operator in the discharge
of any duties imposed by this subtitle.

7-509.

(a)  Within 30 days after [the operation is finished or
abandoned,] COMPLETION OF ALL COAL REMOVAL, BACKFILLING,
REGRADING, AND PLANTING ON THE PERMIT, the operator shall
file with the [Bureau,] DEPARTMENT a completion report on a
form the [Bureau] DEPARTMENT furnishes, which identifies the
operation and states the area of land affected by open-pit
mining, and stating whether the operator intends to carry on
deep mining on the premises. The operator shall attach to
the completion report a map of the operation certified by a
REGISTERED ENGINEER OR REGISTERED LAND surveyor showing the
boundary lines of the tract, the access to the operation
from the nearest public highway, the area of land affected
by open-pit mining, THE LOCATION OF MEASURES INSTALLED ON
THE AREA FOR SEDIMENT AND EROSION CONTROL, and any location
reserved for deep mining. [A mining and reclamation final
report shall be included on the map or submitted as a
separate form which contains information identical to that
required for the initial reclamation plan and the annual
mining and reclamation progress report.] The Committee
shall review the report. If the report is not approved, [the
Director of] the [Bureau] DEPARTMENT shall notify the
operator in writing of the basis for disapproval. The
operator may request a hearing within ten days after
notification of the disapproval, after which the Committee
shall hold a hearing within [20] 30 days. If, after the
hearing, the Committee still disapproves the report, the
[Director] DEPARTMENT shall suspend the open-pit mining
permit of the operator concerned until THE OPERATOR CORRECTS
THE REASONS FOR THE DISAPPROVAL AND the Committee approves
the report. [If the Committee fails to act on a report
within 60 days after its submission, the failure constitutes
approval of the report.]

(b)  If the operator or any other person desires to
conduct deep mining on the premises or use [the openings] A
PORTION OF THE PERMIT AREA for haulageways or any other
lawful purpose, the operator may designate a location,
subject to the [Director's] DEPARTMENT'S approval, to be
used for one or more of these purposes. At a designated and
approved location it is not necessary to backfill as
required by this subtitle until the deep mining or other use
is completed. During this time the bond on file for that
portion of the operation may not be released UNLESS A BOND
AS REQUIRED BY SUBTITLE 5A OF THIS TITLE IS FILED WITH THE
DEPARTMENT. The area of each reserved opening and its
location shall be described in the completion report and
designated on the attached map. [When the backfilling and
all necessary grading prior to planting has been completed
on that portion of the entire area of land affected by the
operation for the previous years, and the report filed by