{"data":{"id":"us-ky/krs-350.600","jurisdiction":"us-ky","citation":"KRS 350.600","heading":"Legislative findings and intent -- Commercial oil shale mining prohibited","body":"until adoption of rules and regulations.\n(1) The General Assembly finds that there has been a recent interest in the\nCommonwealth in the mining and processing of oil shale due to the critical need for\nfossil fuel which has developed in this country. The General Assembly further finds\nthat the development of this fossil fuel could be of significant long -range benefit to\nthe Commonwealth and to the United States of America, but tha t the unregulated\nextraction and processing of oil shale within the Commonwealth could cause soil\nerosion, water pollution, and the destruction of aesthetic and agricultural values.\nThe General Assembly further finds that, in order to effectively regulate the\nextraction and processing of oil shale, the Energy and Environment Cabinet shall\nconduct extensive research concerning the process, waste production, and\npotentially adverse environmental impacts of such recovery operations.\n(2) It is the intent of the General Assembly to provide such regulation and control of the\nmining and processing of oil shale as to minimize and prevent its adverse effects on\nthe citizens and the environment of the Commonwealth. The General Assembly\nfurther finds that the Energy an d Environment Cabinet is the most competent\nagency to regulate the extraction and processing of oil shale due to its expertise in\nthe handling of the surface mining of other minerals and in the regulation of other\nsources of air and water pollution.\n(3) The Energy and Environment Cabinet shall file with the regulations compiler\nreasonable rules and regulations pertaining to oil shale mining operations, which\nshall include strip mining as defined by KRS 350.010, the surface effects of\nunderground mining of o il shale, and the in situ mining of oil shale by June 30,\n1981. No person shall engage in the commercial mining or processing of oil shale\nuntil such time as the cabinet promulgates rules and regulations to provide standards\nfor such mining.\n(4) In promulgating regulations pursuant to subsection (3) of this section, the secretary\nshall make written finding that the regulations promulgated are based on sound\nscientific and engineering data and are reasonably necessary to protect the people\nand environment of  the Commonwealth from the adverse effects of oil shale\nextraction. The secretary shall promulgate regulations consistent with existing\nstandards for land, water, and air protection. The secretary may conduct a public\nhearing on the subject of the cabinet' s regulation of the extraction and processing of\noil shale for the purpose of collecting data and receiving public comments on this\nissue. The hearing will be held at a time and place to be determined by the secretary\nin accordance with the policy of the cabinet.\n(5) Prior to the adoption of the regulations required by this section, any person may\nconduct core drilling, experimentation, removal of samples, or a pilot and\ndemonstration project which involves the mining of not more than five (5) acres for\nthe production of oil shale in any one (1) county. Such core drilling,\nexperimentation, removal of samples, or pilot and demonstration project involving\nthe mining of not more than five (5) acres for the production of oil shale in any one\n(1) county shall not  be initiated until written notification of the intent to perform\nsuch operations shall be filed at least fifteen (15) days prior to commencement of\nsuch projects by registered mail by the mine operator with the secretary of the\nEnergy and Environment Cabi net of the Commonwealth of Kentucky and with the\nperson(s) holding title to the surface of the land to be utilized for such operations.\n(6) The secretary of the Energy and Environment Cabinet of the Commonwealth of\nKentucky shall be granted the right to mo nitor such core drilling, experimentation,\nremoval of samples, or pilot and demonstration project as it may deem necessary for\nthe purpose of establishing sound and reasonable scientific and engineering data\nupon which rules and regulations pertaining to o il shale mining operations in the\nCommonwealth of Kentucky can be based.","path":["KRS Chapter 350"],"source_url":"https://apps.legislature.ky.gov/law/statutes/statute.aspx?id=32871","current_through":"Includes enactments through the 2026 Regular Session","vintage":"09/05/2026","retrieved_at":"2026-09-05T20:58:36Z","sha256":"5365ef36c6ea02b9db323b6b1ae010c2e6b7331b6903a55c1f98a9e75301a80b","source_id":"us-ky","stale":false,"prev":"us-ky/krs-350.597","next":"us-ky/krs-350.610"},"notice":"GroundRules: Original legal text. Not legal advice."}