SECTION 460:20-3-4. Responsibility

  The Oklahoma Department of Mines shall assume primary responsibility for regulation of coal exploration and surface coal mining and reclamation operations during the permanent regulatory program upon submission to and approval by the Secretary of a State program meeting all applicable requirements of the Act and this Chapter. After approval of the State program, the State regulatory authority has responsibility for review of and decisions on permits and bonding for surface coal mining and reclamation operations, approval of coal exploration which substantially disturbs the natural land surface and removes more than 250 tons of coal from the earth in any one location, inspection of coal exploration and surface coal mining and reclamation operations for compliance with the Act, this Chapter, the State program, permits and exploration approvals, and for enforcement of the State program.