94TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY
State of Illinois
2005 and 2006
HB5290

 

Introduced 1/25/2006, by Rep. Kevin A. McCarthy

 

SYNOPSIS AS INTRODUCED:
 
225 ILCS 720/1.03   from Ch. 96 1/2, par. 7901.03

    Amends the Surface Coal Mining Land Conservation and Reclamation Act. Makes a technical change in a Section concerning definitions.


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A BILL FOR

 

HB5290 LRB094 17144 RAS 52432 b

1     AN ACT concerning regulation.
 
2     Be it enacted by the People of the State of Illinois,
3 represented in the General Assembly:
 
4     Section 5. The Surface Coal Mining Land Conservation and
5 Reclamation Act is amended by changing Section 1.03 as follows:
 
6     (225 ILCS 720/1.03)  (from Ch. 96 1/2, par. 7901.03)
7     Sec. 1.03. Definitions.
8     (a) Whenever used or referred to in this this Act, unless a
9 different meaning clearly appears from the context:
10         (1) "Affected land" means:
11             (A) in the context of surface mining operations,
12         the areas described in Section 1.03(a)(24)(B), and
13             (B) in the context of underground mining
14         operations, surface areas on which such operations
15         occur or where such activities disturb the natural land
16         surface.
17         (2) "Approximate original contour" means that surface
18     configuration achieved by backfilling and grading of the
19     mined area so that the reclaimed area, including any
20     terracing or access roads, closely resembles the general
21     surface configuration of the land prior to mining and
22     blends into and compliments the drainage pattern of the
23     surrounding terrain, with all highwalls and spoil piles
24     eliminated.
25         (3) "Article" means an Article of this Act.
26         (4) "Department" means the Department of Natural
27     Resources, or such department, bureau, or commission as may
28     lawfully succeed to the powers and duties of such
29     Department.
30         (5) "Director" means the Director of the Department or
31     such officer, bureau or commission as may lawfully succeed
32     to the powers and duties of such Director.

 

 

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1         (6) "Federal Act" means the Federal Surface Mining
2     Control and Reclamation Act of 1977 (Public Law 95-87).
3         (7) "Imminent danger to the health and safety of the
4     public" means the existence of any condition or practice,
5     or any violation of a permit or other requirement of this
6     Act in a mining and reclamation operation, which condition,
7     practice, or violation could reasonably be expected to
8     cause substantial physical harm to persons outside the
9     permit area before such condition, practice, or violation
10     can be abated. A reasonable expectation of death or serious
11     injury before abatement exists if a rational person,
12     subjected to the same conditions or practices giving rise
13     to the peril, would not expose himself to the danger during
14     the time necessary for abatement.
15         (8) (Blank).
16         (9) "Interagency Committee" means the Interagency
17     Committee on Surface Mining Control and Reclamation
18     created by Section 1.05.
19         (9-a) "Lands eligible for remining" means those lands
20     that would otherwise be eligible for expenditures under the
21     Abandoned Mined Lands and Water Reclamation Act.
22         (10) "Mining and reclamation operations" means mining
23     operations and all activities necessary and incident to the
24     reclamation of such operations.
25         (11) "Mining operations" means both surface mining
26     operations and underground mining operations.
27         (12) "Operator" means any person engaged in coal
28     mining, and includes political subdivisions, units of
29     local government and instrumentalities of the State of
30     Illinois, and public utilities.
31         (13) "Permit" means a permit or a revised permit to
32     conduct mining operations and reclamation issued by the
33     Department under this Act.
34         (14) "Permit applicant" or "applicant" means a person
35     applying for a permit.
36         (15) "Permit application" or "application" means an

 

 

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1     application for a permit under this Act.
2         (16) "Permit area" means the land described in the
3     permit.
4         (17) "Permittee" means a person holding a permit.
5         (18) "Permit term" means the period during which the
6     permittee may engage in mining operations under a permit.
7         (19) "Person" means an individual, partnership,
8     copartnership, firm, joint venture, company, corporation,
9     association, joint stock company, trust, estate, political
10     subdivision, or any other public or private legal entity,
11     or their legal representative, agent or assigns.
12         (20) "Reclamation" means conditioning areas affected
13     by mining operations to achieve the purposes of this Act.
14         (21) "Reclamation plan" means a plan described in
15     Section 2.03.
16         (22) "Regulations" means regulations promulgated under
17     the Federal Act.
18         (23) "Section" means a section of this Act.
19         (24) "Surface mining operations" means (A) activities
20     conducted on the surface of lands in connection with a
21     surface coal mine or surface operations. Such activities
22     include excavation for the purpose of obtaining coal
23     including such common methods as contour, strip, auger,
24     mountaintop removal, box cut, open pit, and area mining,
25     coal recovery from coal waste disposal areas, the uses of
26     explosives and blasting, and in situ distillation or
27     retorting, leaching or other chemical or physical
28     processing, and the cleaning, concentrating, or other
29     processing or preparation, loading of coal at or near the
30     mine site; and (B) the areas on which such activities occur
31     or where such activities disturb the natural land surface.
32     Such areas include any adjacent land the use of which is
33     incidental to any such activities, all lands affected by
34     the construction of new roads or the improvement or use of
35     existing roads to gain access to the site of such
36     activities and for haulage, and excavations, workings,

 

 

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1     impoundments, dams, refuse banks, dumps, stockpiles,
2     overburden piles, spoil banks, culm banks, tailings, holes
3     or depressions, repair areas, storage areas, processing
4     areas, shipping areas and other areas upon which are sited
5     structures, facilities, or other property or materials on
6     the surface, resulting from or incident to such activities.
7         (25) "Toxic conditions" and "toxic materials" mean any
8     conditions and materials that will not support higher forms
9     of plant or animal life in any place in connection with or
10     as a result of the completion of mining operations.
11         (26) "Underground mining operations" means the
12     underground excavation of coal and (A) surface operations
13     incident to the underground extraction of coal, such as
14     construction, use, maintenance, and reclamation of roads,
15     above-ground repair areas, storage areas, processing
16     areas, shipping areas, areas on which are sited support
17     facilities including hoist and ventilation ducts, areas
18     used for the storage and disposal of waste, and areas on
19     which materials incident to underground mining operations
20     are placed, and (B) underground operations incident to
21     underground excavation of coal, such as underground
22     construction, operation, and reclamation of shafts, adits,
23     underground support facilities, in situ processing, and
24     underground mining, hauling, storage, or blasting.
25         (27) "Unwarranted failure to comply" means the failure
26     of a permittee to prevent the occurrence of or to abate any
27     violation of his permit or any requirement of this Act due
28     to indifference, lack of diligence, or lack of reasonable
29     care.
30     (b) The Department shall by rule define other terms used in
31 this Act if necessary or desirable to achieve the purposes of
32 this Act.
33 (Source: P.A. 90-490, eff. 8-17-97; 91-357, eff. 7-29-99.)