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<law><site_title>Virginia Decoded</site_title><site_url>https://vacode.org</site_url><law_id>84028</law_id><section_number>45.2-1018</section_number><catch_line> Surface effects of underground coal mining operations</catch_line><edition url="https://vacode.org/2025/" slug="2025" current="TRUE" last_updated="">2025</edition><referred_to_by><reference>45.2-1000</reference><reference>45.2-1017</reference></referred_to_by><structure><unit label="title" level="1" order_by="1" identifier="45.2">Mines, Minerals, and Energy</unit><unit label="subtitle" level="2" order_by="1" identifier="II">Coal Mining</unit><unit label="part" level="3" order_by="1" identifier="C">Surface Coal Mines</unit><unit label="chapter" level="4" order_by="1" identifier="10">Virginia Coal Surface Mining Control and Reclamation Act of 1979</unit><unit label="article" level="5" order_by="1" identifier="2">Regulation of Mining Activity</unit></structure><text>
						<section id="A"><p><span class="prefix-number">A.</span> The <span class="dictionary">Director</span> shall adopt regulations directed toward the surface effects of underground coal mining operations and embodying the requirements of &#xA7;&#xA7; 516 and 720(a)(1) of the <span class="dictionary">federal act</span>. The provisions of this chapter relating to <span class="dictionary">permits</span>, <span class="dictionary">bonds</span>, inspections and enforcement, public review, and administrative and judicial review shall be applicable to any surface operation or surface impact incident to an underground coal mine with such modifications to the <span class="dictionary">permit</span> application requirements, <span class="dictionary">permit</span> approval or denial procedures, and <span class="dictionary">bond</span> requirements as are necessary to accommodate the differences between surface and underground coal mining. Nothing in &#xA7; 720(a)(1) of the <span class="dictionary">federal act</span> shall be construed to prohibit or interrupt any underground coal mining operation. <a id="paragraph-301146" class="section-permalink" href="https://vacode.org/45.2-1018/#A"><i class="fa fa-link"/></a></p></section>
						<section id="B"><p><span class="prefix-number">B.</span> The regulations adopted by the <span class="dictionary">Director</span> shall require that each <span class="dictionary">permit</span> applicant submit hydrologic reclamation plans that include measures to prevent the sudden release of accumulated water from underground workings. <a id="paragraph-301147" class="section-permalink" href="https://vacode.org/45.2-1018/#B"><i class="fa fa-link"/></a></p></section>
						<section id="C"><p><span class="prefix-number">C.</span> The <span class="dictionary">Director</span> shall suspend underground coal mining under any elementary or secondary school, institution of higher education, urbanized area, city, town, or community, and adjacent to any industrial or commercial building, major impoundment, or permanent stream, if he finds imminent danger to people from such underground coal mining. <a id="paragraph-301148" class="section-permalink" href="https://vacode.org/45.2-1018/#C"><i class="fa fa-link"/></a></p></section></text><history>1979, c. 290, &#xA7; 45.1-243; 1984, c. 590; 1993, c. 582; 1996, cc. 409, 410; 2021, Sp. Sess. I, c. 387.</history><metadata></metadata></law>
