{"data":{"id":"us-ky/krs-350.020","jurisdiction":"us-ky","citation":"KRS 350.020","heading":"Declaration of legislative policy and finding of fact.","body":"The General Assembly finds that the Commonwealth is the leading producer of coal and\nthat the production of coal in Kentucky contributes significantly to the nation's energy\nneeds. The General Assembly further finds that unregulated surface coal mining\noperations cause soil erosion, damage from rolling stones and overburden, landslides,\nstream pollution, the accumulation of stagnant water and the seepage of contaminated\nwater, increase the likelihood of floods, destroy the value of land for agricultural\npurposes, destroy aesthetic values, counteract efforts for the conservation of soil, water\nand other natural resources, destroy or impair the property rights of citizens, create fire\nhazards, and in general create hazards dangerous to life and property, so as  to constitute\nan imminent and inordinate peril to the welfare of the Commonwealth. The General\nAssembly further finds that lands that have been subjected to surface coal mining\noperations and have not been reclaimed and rehabilitated in accordance with mo dern\nstandards constitute the aforementioned perils to the welfare of the Commonwealth. The\nGeneral Assembly further finds that there are wide variations in the circumstances and\nconditions surrounding and arising out of surface coal mining operations due primarily to\ndifference in topographical and geological conditions, and by reason thereof it is\nnecessary, in order to provide the most effective, beneficial and equitable solution to the\nproblem, that a broad discretion be vested in the authority designat ed to administer and\nenforce the regulatory provisions enacted by the General Assembly. The General\nAssembly further finds that governmental responsibility for regulating surface coal\nmining operations rests with state government and hereby directs the Ene rgy and\nEnvironment Cabinet to take all actions necessary to preserve and exercise the\nCommonwealth's authority, to the exclusion of all other governmental entities except the\nCommonwealth and agencies thereof and except as provided in KRS Chapter 100.\nTherefore, it is the purpose of this chapter to provide such regulation and control of\nsurface coal mining operations as to minimize or prevent injurious effects on the people\nand resources of the Commonwealth. To that end, the cabinet is directed to rigidly\nenforce this chapter and to adopt whatever administrative regulations are found necessary\nto accomplish the purpose of this chapter.","path":["KRS Chapter 350"],"source_url":"https://apps.legislature.ky.gov/law/statutes/statute.aspx?id=44516","current_through":"Includes enactments through the 2026 Regular Session","vintage":"09/05/2026","retrieved_at":"2026-09-05T20:58:35Z","sha256":"1df0a4fb614a3bb7ad6259a1d5fb9b4afbb8f6dbca75bd7fc238db74e59536d9","source_id":"us-ky","stale":false,"prev":"us-ky/krs-350.010","next":"us-ky/krs-350.024"},"notice":"GroundRules: Original legal text. Not legal advice."}