Virginia Law

(a) A notice of violation or cessation order which requires cessation of mining, expressly or by necessary implication, shall expire within 30 days after it is served unless an informal public hearing is held or if the notice or order is terminated prior to the hearing. Expiration of a notice or order shall not affect the division's right to assess civil penalties for the violations as set forth in part 845. For purposes of this section, mining includes (1) extracting coal from the earth or coal waste piles and transporting it within or from the permit area, and (2) the processing, cleaning, concentrating, preparing or loading of coal where such operations occur at a place other than at a mine site.

(b) A person issued a notice of violation or cessation order pursuant to this part may request, in writing within 15 days from service of the notice or order, an informal public hearing to review the issuance of the notice or order. The written request must be submitted to the division's Big Stone Gap Office.

(c) The division shall conduct the informal hearing within 30 days from receipt of the hearing request pursuant to § 2.2-4019 of the Virginia Administrative Process Act. The division shall give as much advance notice as is practicable of the time, place, and subject matter of the informal public hearing to:

(1) The person to whom the notice or order was issued; and

(2) Any person who filed a report which led to that notice or order.

(d) The division shall also post notice of the hearing at its Big Stone Gap office and, where practicable, publish it in a newspaper of general circulation in the area of the mine.

(e) An informal public hearing shall be conducted by a representative of the division, who may accept oral or written arguments and any other relevant information from any person attending.

(f) Within five days after the close of the informal public hearing, the division shall affirm, modify, or vacate the notice or order in writing. The decision shall be sent to-

(1) The person to whom the notice or order was issued; and

(2) Any person who filed a report which led to the notice or order.

(g) The granting of an informal public hearing shall not affect the right of any person to formal review under § 45.2-1025 of the Act.

(h) The person conducting the hearing for the division shall determine whether or not the mine site should be viewed during the hearing. In making this determination the only consideration shall be whether a view of the mine site will assist the person conducting the hearing in reviewing the appropriateness of the enforcement action or of the required remedial action.