{"formats":[{"name":"JSON","format":"json","url":"\/downloads\/2025\/code-json\/45.2-617.json"},{"name":"Plain Text","format":"text","url":"\/downloads\/2025\/code-text\/45.2-617.txt"},{"name":"XML","format":"xml","url":"\/downloads\/2025\/code-xml\/45.2-617.xml"},{"name":"HTML","format":"html","url":"\/downloads\/2025\/code-html\/45.2-617.html"}],"law_id":72700,"edition_id":1,"section_id":72700,"structure_id":16536,"section_number":"45.2-617","catch_line":" Definitions","history":"2005, c. 3, \u00a7 45.1-221.1; 2021, Sp. Sess. I, c. 387.","full_text":"As used in this article, unless the context requires a different meaning:\n\t\t“Coal refuse” means waste material resulting from the mining and screening or processing of coal.\n\t\t“Coal slurry” means waste water and impurities produced as the result of coal washing and preparation of coal for market, containing a combination of coal, shale, claystone, siltstone, sandstone, limestone, or related materials that are excavated, moved, and disposed of from underground workings.\n\t\t“Mine refuse impoundment” means a mine refuse pile that retains water that has been used in carrying out any part of the process necessary in the production or preparation of coal.\n\t\t“Mine refuse pile” means a pile of coarse or fine coal refuse that is a result of the mining or screening process that may be stacked, spread, or graded and covers 20 acre-feet or more.\n\t\t“Operator” means any person who operates, controls, or supervises a retaining dam or a mine refuse impoundment.\n\t\t“Retaining dam” means an artificial barrier or obstruction that is designed to impound water, coal slurry, or silt (i) to an elevation of five feet or more above the upstream toe of the structure and has a storage volume of 20 acre-feet or more or (ii) to an elevation of 20 feet or more measured at the open channel spillway or from the crest of the dam in a closed system, regardless of storage volume.\n\t\t“Silt” means fine particles resulting from a mining operation, suspended in or deposited by water.\n\t\t“Water” means liquid or slurry resulting from the processing of coal in mining operations.","order_by":null,"text":{"0":{"id":261664,"text":"As used in this article, unless the context requires a different meaning:\n\t\t“Coal refuse” means waste material resulting from the mining and screening or processing of coal.\n\t\t“Coal slurry” means waste water and impurities produced as the result of coal washing and preparation of coal for market, containing a combination of coal, shale, claystone, siltstone, sandstone, limestone, or related materials that are excavated, moved, and disposed of from underground workings.\n\t\t“Mine refuse impoundment” means a mine refuse pile that retains water that has been used in carrying out any part of the process necessary in the production or preparation of coal.\n\t\t“Mine refuse pile” means a pile of coarse or fine coal refuse that is a result of the mining or screening process that may be stacked, spread, or graded and covers 20 acre-feet or more.\n\t\t“Operator” means any person who operates, controls, or supervises a retaining dam or a mine refuse impoundment.\n\t\t“Retaining dam” means an artificial barrier or obstruction that is designed to impound water, coal slurry, or silt (i) to an elevation of five feet or more above the upstream toe of the structure and has a storage volume of 20 acre-feet or more or (ii) to an elevation of 20 feet or more measured at the open channel spillway or from the crest of the dam in a closed system, regardless of storage volume.\n\t\t“Silt” means fine particles resulting from a mining operation, suspended in or deposited by water.\n\t\t“Water” means liquid or slurry resulting from the processing of coal in mining operations.","type":"section","prefixes":[""],"prefix":"","entire_prefix":"","prefix_anchor":"","level":1}},"ancestry":[{"id":16536,"edition_id":1,"name":"Coal Mine Refuse Impoundments and Retaining Dams","identifier":"4","label":"article","depth":5,"order_by":1,"parent_id":15154,"metadata":{},"date_created":"2026-06-26 04:23:05","date_modified":"2026-06-26 04:23:05","permalink":{"id":223077,"object_type":"structure","relational_id":16536,"identifier":"4","token":"45.2\/II\/A\/6\/4","url":"\/45.2\/II\/A\/6\/4\/","edition_id":1,"permalink":0,"preferred":1}},{"id":15154,"edition_id":1,"name":"Coal Mining Property, Interests, Adjacent Owners, and Dams","identifier":"6","label":"chapter","depth":4,"order_by":1,"parent_id":13784,"metadata":{},"date_created":"2026-06-26 03:52:34","date_modified":"2026-06-26 03:52:34","permalink":{"id":223001,"object_type":"structure","relational_id":15154,"identifier":"6","token":"45.2\/II\/A\/6","url":"\/45.2\/II\/A\/6\/","edition_id":1,"permalink":0,"preferred":1}},{"id":13784,"edition_id":1,"name":"Coal Mines Generally","identifier":"A","label":"part","depth":3,"order_by":1,"parent_id":12985,"metadata":{},"date_created":"2026-06-26 03:45:52","date_modified":"2026-06-26 03:45:52","permalink":{"id":222649,"object_type":"structure","relational_id":13784,"identifier":"A","token":"45.2\/II\/A","url":"\/45.2\/II\/A\/","edition_id":1,"permalink":0,"preferred":1}},{"id":12985,"edition_id":1,"name":"Coal Mining","identifier":"II","label":"subtitle","depth":2,"order_by":1,"parent_id":12713,"metadata":{},"date_created":"2026-06-26 03:44:06","date_modified":"2026-06-26 03:44:06","permalink":{"id":222647,"object_type":"structure","relational_id":12985,"identifier":"II","token":"45.2\/II","url":"\/45.2\/II\/","edition_id":1,"permalink":0,"preferred":1}},{"id":12713,"edition_id":1,"name":"Mines, Minerals, and Energy","identifier":"45.2","label":"title","depth":1,"order_by":1,"parent_id":null,"metadata":{},"date_created":"2026-06-26 03:43:49","date_modified":"2026-06-26 03:43:49","permalink":{"id":222539,"object_type":"structure","relational_id":12713,"identifier":"45.2","token":"45.2","url":"\/45.2\/","edition_id":1,"permalink":0,"preferred":1}}],"structure_contents":[{"id":72700,"structure_id":16536,"section_number":"45.2-617","catch_line":" Definitions","url":"\/45.2-617\/","token":"45.2\/II\/A\/6\/4\/45.2-617","metadata":false},{"id":74952,"structure_id":16536,"section_number":"45.2-618","catch_line":" Design and construction of retaining dam or mine refuse impoundment; designs and other data to be submitted to Chief","url":"\/45.2-618\/","token":"45.2\/II\/A\/6\/4\/45.2-618","metadata":false},{"id":70699,"structure_id":16536,"section_number":"45.2-619","catch_line":" Examination of retaining dam or mine refuse impoundment; potentially hazardous condition; plans to be submitted by operators","url":"\/45.2-619\/","token":"45.2\/II\/A\/6\/4\/45.2-619","metadata":false},{"id":80532,"structure_id":16536,"section_number":"45.2-620","catch_line":" Emergency notification and evacuation plan","url":"\/45.2-620\/","token":"45.2\/II\/A\/6\/4\/45.2-620","metadata":false}],"next_section":{"id":74952,"structure_id":16536,"section_number":"45.2-618","catch_line":" Design and construction of retaining dam or mine refuse impoundment; designs and other data to be submitted to Chief","url":"\/45.2-618\/","token":"45.2\/II\/A\/6\/4\/45.2-618","metadata":false},"metadata":false,"official_url":"https:\/\/law.lis.virginia.gov\/vacode\/45.2-617\/","history_text":"

This law was first created in 2005. The record of its establishment is cataloged in chapter 3<\/a> of that year\u2019s edition of \u201cActs of Assembly,\u201d the annual state publication listing all changes made to the Code of Virginia in that year.<\/p>","references":[{"id":63201,"section_number":"45.2-502","catch_line":" Safety and health","order_by":null,"url":"\/45.2-502\/"},{"id":68399,"section_number":"45.2-903","catch_line":" Safety examinations","order_by":null,"url":"\/45.2-903\/"}],"refers_to":false,"permalink":{"id":223079,"object_type":"law","relational_id":72700,"identifier":"45.2-617","token":"45.2\/II\/A\/6\/4\/45.2-617","url":"\/45.2-617\/","edition_id":1,"permalink":0,"preferred":1},"url":"\/45.2-617\/","token":"45.2\/II\/A\/6\/4\/45.2-617","dublin_core":{"Title":" Definitions","Type":"Text","Format":"text\/html","Identifier":"\u00a7 45.2-617","Relation":"Code of Virginia"},"html":"\n\t\t\t\t\t\t

As used in this article, unless the context requires a different meaning:\n\t\t“Coal refuse<\/span>” means waste material<\/span> resulting from the mining and screening or processing of coal.\n\t\t“Coal slurry<\/span>” means waste water<\/span> and impurities produced as the result of coal washing and preparation of coal for market, containing a combination of coal, shale, claystone, siltstone, sandstone, limestone, or related materials<\/span> that are excavated, moved, and disposed of from underground workings.\n\t\t“Mine refuse impoundment<\/span>” means a mine refuse pile<\/span> that retains water<\/span> that has been used in carrying out any part of the process necessary in the production or preparation of coal.\n\t\t“Mine refuse pile<\/span>” means a pile of coarse or fine coal refuse<\/span> that is a result of the mining or screening process that may be stacked, spread, or graded and covers 20 acre-feet or more.\n\t\t“Operator<\/span>” means any person who operates, controls, or supervises a retaining dam<\/span> or a mine refuse impoundment<\/span>.\n\t\t“Retaining dam<\/span>” means an artificial barrier or obstruction that is designed to impound water<\/span>, coal slurry<\/span>, or silt<\/span> (i) to an elevation of five feet or more above the upstream toe of the structure and has a storage volume of 20 acre-feet or more or (ii) to an elevation of 20 feet or more measured at the open channel spillway or from the crest of the dam in a closed system, regardless of storage volume.\n\t\t“Silt<\/span>” means fine particles resulting from a mining operation, suspended in or deposited by water<\/span>.\n\t\t“Water<\/span>” means liquid or slurry resulting from the processing of coal in mining operations.<\/p><\/section>","plain_text":" CODE OF VIRGINIA\n\n DEFINITIONS (\u00a7 45.2-617)\n\nAs used in this article, unless the context requires a different meaning:\n\t\t“Coal refuse” means waste material resulting from the mining and\nscreening or processing of coal.\n\t\t“Coal slurry” means waste water and impurities produced as the\nresult of coal washing and preparation of coal for market, containing a\ncombination of coal, shale, claystone, siltstone, sandstone, limestone, or\nrelated materials that are excavated, moved, and disposed of from underground\nworkings.\n\t\t“Mine refuse impoundment” means a mine refuse pile that retains\nwater that has been used in carrying out any part of the process necessary in\nthe production or preparation of coal.\n\t\t“Mine refuse pile” means a pile of coarse or fine coal refuse that\nis a result of the mining or screening process that may be stacked, spread, or\ngraded and covers 20 acre-feet or more.\n\t\t“Operator” means any person who operates, controls, or supervises\na retaining dam or a mine refuse impoundment.\n\t\t“Retaining dam” means an artificial barrier or obstruction that is\ndesigned to impound water, coal slurry, or silt (i) to an elevation of five feet\nor more above the upstream toe of the structure and has a storage volume of 20\nacre-feet or more or (ii) to an elevation of 20 feet or more measured at the\nopen channel spillway or from the crest of the dam in a closed system,\nregardless of storage volume.\n\t\t“Silt” means fine particles resulting from a mining operation,\nsuspended in or deposited by water.\n\t\t“Water” means liquid or slurry resulting from the processing of\ncoal in mining operations.\n\nHISTORY: 2005, c. 3, \u00a7 45.1-221.1; 2021, Sp. Sess. I, c. 387.","edition":{"id":1,"name":"2025","slug":"2025","date_created":"2026-06-21 22:39:22","date_modified":"2026-06-21 22:39:22","current":1,"order_by":1,"last_import":null}}