Ch. 680

LAWS OF MARYLAND

(1983 Replacement Volume and 1986 Supplement)

SECTION 1. BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF
MARYLAND, That, the Laws of Maryland read as follows:

Article - Natural Resources

7-505.

(a) Before any person conducts open-pit mining, he shall
obtain a permit on a form furnished by the Department for each
separate operation. All permits shall require the operator to
comply with all amendments to this subtitle and rules and
regulations adopted pursuant thereto. A permit may not be issued
if the Department determines that reclamation cannot be
accomplished in accordance with the requirements of this subtitle
or rules and regulations adopted pursuant thereto. The permit is
valid for a term not to exceed 5 years, unless the Department
suspends or cancels it prior to that time. If an applicant
demonstrates that a specified longer term is necessary to obtain
financing for equipment and opening the operation, the Department
may grant a permit for such longer term. A permit ISSUED UNDER
THIS SUBTITLE SHALL CARRY WITH IT THE RIGHT OF SUCCESSIVE RENEWAL
AND may be renewed or amended following a hearing, IF REQUESTED,
as provided in subsection (d) if the permit meets the
requirements of this subtitle and rules and regulations adopted
pursuant thereto, except that a hearing is not necessary for the
approval of incidental boundary revisions UNDER THIS SUBTITLE. A
permit may not be transferred or assigned without written
approval from the Department. After 8 months from the date of
federal approval of the State program, a person may not conduct
open pit mining without obtaining a permit issued pursuant to the
approved State program, except that a person may continue to mine
under a prior permit if an application for a permit is filed
within 2 months following federal approval even if the permit has
not been issued.

(c) The permit application FOR A PERMIT OR PERMIT REVISION
shall be submitted in a manner satisfactory to the Department and
shall contain at a minimum:

(1) A copy of the applicant's advertisement to be
published in a newspaper of general circulation in the county of
the proposed mining site at least once a week for 4 successive
weeks, and which includes the ownership of the land TO BE
affected, a description of the location and boundaries of the
proposed site sufficient so that the proposed operation is easily
locatable by local residents, the location of where the
application is available for public inspection, and notice that
public comment WRITTEN COMMENTS AND REQUESTS FOR A PUBLIC HEARING
will be received by the Department for at least 30 days after the
last newspaper publication;

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