SECTION 460:20-45-49. Cessation of operations: temporary

(a)   Each person who conducts underground mining activities shall effectively support and maintain all surface access openings to underground operations, and secure surface facilities in areas in which there are no current operations, but operations are to be resumed under an approved permit. Temporary abandonment shall not relieve a person of his or her obligation to comply with any provisions of the approved permit.

(b)   Before temporary cessation of mining and reclamation operations for a period of 30 days or more, or as soon as it is known that a temporary cessation will extend beyond 30 days, each person who conducts underground mining activities shall submit to the Department a notice of intention to cease or abandon operations. This notice shall include a statement of the exact number of surface acres and the horizontal and vertical extent of subsurface strata which have been in the permit area prior to cessation or abandonment, the extent and kind of surface area reclamation which will have been accomplished, and identification of the backfilling, regrading, revegetation, environmental monitoring, underground opening closures, and water-treatment activities that will continue during the temporary cessation.