PARRIS N. GLENDENING, Governor

Ch. 488

(1)     Study and recommend surface coal mine reclamation policies, practices,
and standards;

(2)     From time to time, review the surface coal mining laws, regulations, and
policies for the purpose of recommending changes to improve the efficiency and
effectiveness of the program;

(3)     Review proposed changes to the surface coal mining laws and
regulations to provide comments to the General Assembly and the Department;

(4)     Review the Department's administration of the surface coal mining
regulatory program and the abandoned coal mine reclamation program to determine
compliance with the purpose of the subtitles;

(5)     Enter on any surface coal mining operation to determine mining and
reclamation conditions; and

(6)     Recommend research, demonstration, and cost-sharing projects to
promote optimum revegetation of surface coal mined lands.

15-407.

(a)     In this section "pozzolan" means the finely divided residue which results from
combustion of ground or powdered coal and is released by combustion gases, as defined
by the test methods published by the American Society for Testing Methods.

(b)     (1) Any person who uses pozzolan for landfill shall do so in a manner which
complies with sound engineering practices.

(2) Any person who uses pozzolan for landfill, structural building, soil
improvement, agriculture, soil conditioning, or land reclamation shall minimize dust and
wind erosion and shall comply with all silt control regulations and permit requirements of
the Department [of the Environment].

15-501.

(a) In this subtitle the following words have the meanings indicated.

(c)     "Auger mining" means the mechanical removal of coal from the subsurface by
augering from the outcrop. It is an integral part of open-pit mining.

(d)     "Committee" means Land Reclamation Committee.

(e)     "Deep mining" means any method of extracting coal from the subsurface,
except open-pit mining and auger mining, and includes methods such as drift mining,
shaft mining, and inclined slope mining.

(f)     "Degree" means the angle of slope from the horizontal.

(g)     "Department" means the Department of [Natural Resources] THE
ENVIRONMENT.

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