4VAC25-130-840.16. Compliance conference.

Part 840. Inspection and Enforcement—General

4VAC25-130-840.11. Inspections by the division.

(a) The division shall conduct an average of at least one partial inspection per month of each active surface coal mining and reclamation operation under its jurisdiction, and shall conduct such partial inspections of each inactive surface coal mining and reclamation operation under its jurisdiction as are necessary to ensure effective enforcement of the Act and this chapter. A partial inspection is an on-site or aerial review of a permittee's compliance with some of the permit conditions and requirements imposed under the Act and this chapter.

(b) The division shall conduct an average of at least one complete inspection per calendar quarter of each active or inactive surface coal mining and reclamation operation under its jurisdiction. A complete inspection is an on-site review of a permittee's compliance with all permit conditions and requirements imposed under the Act and this chapter, within the entire area disturbed or affected by the surface coal mining and reclamation operations.

(c) The division shall conduct such inspections of coal explorations as are necessary to ensure compliance with the Act and this chapter.

(d) (1) Aerial inspections shall be conducted in a manner which reasonably ensures the identification and documentation of conditions at each surface coal mining and reclamation site inspected.

(2) Any potential violation observed during an aerial inspection shall be investigated on site within three days; provided, that any indication of a condition, practice or violation constituting cause for the issuance of a cessation order under § 45.2-1020 of the Act shall be investigated on site immediately, and provided further, that an on-site investigation of a potential violation observed during an aerial inspection shall not be considered to be an additional partial or complete inspection for the purposes of paragraphs (a) and (b) of this section.

(e) The inspections required under paragraphs (a), (b), (c) and (d) of this section shall:

(1) Be carried out on an irregular basis, so as to monitor compliance at all operations, including those which operate nights, weekends, or holidays;

(2) Occur without prior notice to the permittee or any agent or employee of such permittee, except for necessary on-site meetings; and

(3) Include the prompt filing of inspection reports adequate to enforce the requirements of the Act and this chapter.

(f) For the purposes of this section, an inactive surface coal mining and reclamation operation is one for which:

(1) The division has secured from the permittee the written notice provided for under 4VAC25-130-816.131(b) or 4VAC25-130-817.131(b); or

(2) Reclamation has been completed to the level established in 4VAC25-130-800.40 as Phase II.

(g) Abandoned site means a surface coal mining and reclamation operation for which the division has found in writing that:

(1) All surface and underground coal mining and reclamation activities at the site have ceased;

(2) The division has issued at least one notice of violation or the interim program equivalent, and either:

(i) Is unable to serve the notice despite diligent efforts to do so; or

(ii) The notice was served and has progressed to a failure-to-abate cessation order or the interim program equivalent;

(3) The division:

(i) Is taking action to ensure that the permittee and operator, and owners and controllers of the permittee and operator, will be precluded from receiving future permits while violations continue at the site; and

(ii) Is taking action pursuant to § 45.2-1020 or 45.2-1021 of the Act to ensure that abatement occurs or that there will not be a recurrence of the failure-to-abate, except where after evaluating the circumstances it concludes that further enforcement offers little or no likelihood of successfully compelling abatement or recovering any reclamation costs; and

(4) Where the site is, or was, permitted or bonded:

(i) The permit has either expired or been revoked, or permit revocation proceedings have been initiated and are being pursued diligently; and

(ii) The division has initiated and is diligently pursuing forfeiture of, or has forfeited, the any available performance bond.

(h) In lieu of the inspection frequency established in paragraphs (a) and (b) of this section, the division shall inspect each abandoned site on a set frequency commensurate with the public health and safety and environmental consideration present at each specific site, but in no case shall the inspection frequency be set at less than one complete inspection per calendar year.

(1) In selecting an alternate inspection frequency authorized under the paragraph above, the division shall first conduct a complete inspection of the abandoned site and provide public notice under paragraph (h)(2) of this section. Following the inspection and public notice, the division shall prepare and maintain for public review a written finding justifying the alternative inspection frequency selected. This written finding shall justify the new inspection frequency by affirmatively addressing in detail all of the following criteria:

(i) How the site meets each of the criteria under the definition of an abandoned site under paragraph (g) of this section and thereby qualifies for a reduction in inspection frequency;

(ii) Whether, and to what extent, there exists on the site impoundments, earthen structures or other conditions that pose, or may reasonably be expected to ripen into, imminent dangers to the health or safety of the public or significant environmental harms to land, air, or water resources;

(iii) The extent to which existing impoundments or earthen structures were constructed and certified in accordance with prudent engineering designs approved in the permit;

(iv) The degree to which erosion and sediment control is present and functioning;

(v) The extent to which the site is located near or above urbanized areas, communities, occupied dwellings, schools and other public or commercial buildings and facilities;

(vi) The extent of reclamation completed prior to abandonment and the degree of stability of unreclaimed areas, taking into consideration the physical characteristics of the land mined and the extent of settlement or revegetation that has occurred naturally with them; and

(vii) Based on a review of the complete and partial inspection report record for the site during at least two consecutive years, the rate at which adverse environmental or public health and safety conditions have and can be expected to progressively deteriorate.

(2) The public notice and opportunity to comment required under paragraph (h)(1) of this section shall be provided as follows:

(i) The division shall place a notice in the newspaper with the broadest circulation in the locality of the abandoned mine site providing the public with a 30-day period in which to submit written comments.

(ii) The public notice shall contain the permittee's name, the permit number, the precise location of the land affected, the inspection frequency proposed, the general reasons for reducing the inspection frequency, the bond status of the permit, the telephone number and address of the regulatory authority where written comments on the reduced inspection frequency may be submitted, and the closing date of the comment period.

Statutory Authority

§ 45.2-103 of the Code of Virginia.

Historical Notes

Derived from VR480-03-19 § 840.16, eff. December 15, 1981; amended, eff. June 28, 1982; October 28, 1982; December 14, 1982; October 11, 1983; December 27, 1983; May 8, 1984; June 22, 1984; August 2, 1984; October 16, 1985; January 7, 1987; July 22, 1987; November 25, 1987; October 12, 1988; December 26, 1990; July 1, 1991; July 17, 1991; November 20, 1991; July 7, 1992; May 5, 1993; October 19, 1994; Volume 38, Issue 13, eff. March 31, 2022.

4VAC25-130-840.12. Right of entry.

(a) Representatives of the Director are authorized to enter upon and through any coal exploration or surface coal mining and reclamation operation without advance notice upon presentation of appropriate credentials. No search warrant shall be required, except that entry into buildings shall be conducted only upon consent of the permittee or by search warrant.

(b) Representatives of the Director are authorized to inspect any monitoring equipment or method of exploration or operation, and to have access to and copy any records required under the Act or this chapter. Representatives of the Director may exercise these rights at reasonable times, without advance notice, upon presentation of appropriate credentials. No search warrant shall be required, except that entry into buildings shall be conducted only upon consent of the permittee or by search warrant.

Statutory Authority

§§ 45.1-161.3 and 45.1-230 of the Code of Virginia.

Historical Notes

Derived from VR480-03-19 § 840.12, eff. December 15, 1981; amended, eff. June 28, 1982; October 28, 1982; December 14, 1982; October 11, 1983; December 27, 1983; May 8, 1984; June 22, 1984; August 2, 1984; October 16, 1985; January 7, 1987; July 22, 1987; November 25, 1987; October 12, 1988; December 26, 1990; July 1, 1991; July 17, 1991; November 20, 1991; July 7, 1992; May 5, 1993; October 19, 1994.

4VAC25-130-840.14. Availability of records.

(a) The division shall make available to the OSM, upon request, copies of all documents relating to applications for and approvals of existing, new, or revised coal exploration approvals or surface coal mining and reclamation operation permits and all documents relating to inspection and enforcement actions.

(b) Copies of all records, reports, inspection materials, or information obtained by the division shall be made immediately and conveniently available to the public in the area of mining until at least five years after expiration of the period during which the subject operation is active or is covered by any portion of a reclamation bond, except-

(1) As otherwise provided by state law; and

(2) For information not required to be made available under 4VAC25-130-772.15 and 4VAC25-130-773.13(d) or subdivison (d) of this section.

(1) Making copies of all records, reports, inspection materials, and other subject information available for public inspection at a federal, state, or local government office in the county where the mining is occurring or proposed to occur; or,

(2) At the division's option in accordance with the Virginia Freedom of Information Act (Chapter 37 ( § 2.2-3700 et seq.) of Title 2.2 of the Code of Virginia), providing copies of subject information promptly by mail at the request of any resident of the area where the mining is occurring or is proposed to occur, provided, that the division shall maintain for public inspection, at a federal, state, or local government office in the county where the mining is occurring or proposed to occur, a description of the information available for mailing and the procedure for obtaining such information. A list of government offices where information may be inspected can be obtained on request by contacting the division's Big Stone Gap office.

(d) In order to protect preparation for hearings and enforcement proceedings, the OSM and the division may enter into agreements regarding procedures for the special handling of investigative and enforcement reports and other such materials.

Statutory Authority

§ 45.2-103 of the Code of Virginia.

Historical Notes

4VAC25-130-840.16. Compliance conference.

(a) A permittee may request an on-site compliance conference with an authorized representative of the Director to review the compliance status of any condition or practice proposed at any coal exploration or surface coal mining and reclamation operation. Any such conference shall not constitute an inspection within the meaning of § 45.2-1019 of the Act and 4VAC25-130-840.11.

(b) The division may accept or refuse any request to conduct a compliance conference under Paragraph (a).

(c) The authorized representative at any compliance conference shall review such proposed conditions and practices in order to advise whether any such condition or practice may become a violation of any requirement of the Act, this chapter, or any applicable permit or exploration approval.

(d) Neither the holding of a compliance conference under this section nor any opinion given by the authorized representative at such a conference shall affect:

(1) Any rights or obligations of the division or of the permittee with respect to any inspection, notice of violation or cessation order, whether prior or subsequent to such compliance conference; or

(2) The validity of any notice of violation or cessation order issued with respect to any condition or practice reviewed at the compliance conference.

Statutory Authority

§ 45.2-103 of the Code of Virginia.

Historical Notes

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