{"data":{"id":"us-ok/okla.-stat.-tit.-45-45-760","jurisdiction":"us-ok","citation":"Okla. Stat. tit. 45, § 45-760","heading":"Mine operators - Duties","body":"Each permit issued relating to underground coal mining shall\n\nrequire the operator to:\n\n1. Adopt measures consistent with known technology in order to\n\nprevent subsidence causing material damage to the extent\n\ntechnologically and economically feasible. The operator shall\n\nmaximize mine stability and maintain the value and reasonably\n\nforeseeable use of surface lands, except in those instances when the\n\nmining technology used requires planned subsidence in a predictable\n\nand controlled manner. Nothing in this paragraph shall be construed\n\nto prohibit the standard method of room and pillar mining;\n\n2. Seal all portals, entryways, drifts, shafts or other\n\nopenings between the surface and underground mine working when no\n\nlonger needed for the conduct of the mining operations;\n\n3. Fill or seal exploratory holes no longer necessary for\n\nmining, maximizing to the extent technologically and economically\n\nfeasible the return of mine and processing waste, tailings and any\n\nother waste incident to the mining operation, to the mine workings\n\nor excavations;\n\n4. Stabilize, with respect to surface disposal of mine wastes,\n\ntailings, coal processing wastes and other wastes in areas other\n\nthan the mine workings or excavations, all waste piles created by\n\nthe permittee from current operations through construction in\n\ncompacted layers including the use of incombustible and impervious\n\nmaterials if necessary. The operator shall assure that the leachate\n\nwill not degrade below water quality standards established pursuant\n\nto applicable federal and state law surface or ground waters. The\n\noperator shall assure that the final contour of the waste\n\naccumulation will be compatible with natural surroundings and that\n\nthe site is stabilized and revegetated according to the provisions\n\nof this section;\n\n5. Design, locate, construct, operate, maintain, enlarge,\n\nmodify and remove or abandon all existing and new coal mine waste\n\npiles consisting of mine wastes, tailings, coal processing wastes,\n\nor other liquid and solid wastes, and used either temporarily or\n\npermanently as dams or embankments as required by the Department;\n\n6. Establish on regraded areas and all other lands affected, a\n\ndiverse and permanent vegetative cover capable of self-regeneration\n\nand plant succession and at least equal in extent of cover to the\n\nnatural vegetation of the area;\n\n7. Protect offsite areas from damages which may result from\n\nsuch mining operations;\n\n8. Eliminate fire hazards and otherwise eliminate conditions\n\nwhich constitute a hazard to the public health and safety;\n\n9. Minimize the disturbances of the prevailing hydrologic\n\nbalance at the minesite and in associated offsite areas and to the\n\nquantity of water in surface ground water systems both during and\n\nafter coal mining operations and during reclamation by:\n\na. avoiding acid or other toxic mine drainage by such\n\nmeasures as, but not limited to:\n\n(1) preventing or removing water from contact with\n\ntoxic producing deposits,\n\n(2) treating drainage to reduce toxic content which\n\nadversely affects downstream water upon being released to\n\nwatercourses, and\nsurface ground water systems both during and\n\nafter coal mining operations and during reclamation by:\n\na. avoiding acid or other toxic mine drainage by such\n\nmeasures as, but not limited to:\n\n(1) preventing or removing water from contact with\n\ntoxic producing deposits,\n\n(2) treating drainage to reduce toxic content which\n\nadversely affects downstream water upon being released to\n\nwatercourses, and\n\n(3) casing, sealing or otherwise managing boreholes,\n\nshafts and wells to keep acid or other toxic drainage from entering\n\nground and surface waters, and\n\nb. conducting surface coal mining operations so as to\n\nprevent, to the extent possible using the best technology currently\n\navailable, additional contributions of suspended solids to\n\nstreamflow or runoff outside the permit area. In no event shall\n\nsuch contributions be in excess of requirements set by applicable\n\nstate or federal law. The operator shall avoid channel deepening or\n\nenlargement in operations requiring the discharge of water from\n\nmines;\n\n10. Operate, with respect to other surface impacts not\n\nspecified in this section, including the construction of new roads\n\nor the improvement or use of existing roads to gain access to the\n\nsite of such activities and for haulage, repair areas, storage\n\nareas, processing areas, shipping areas and other areas upon which\n\nare sited structures, facilities or other property or materials on\n\nthe surface, resulting from or incident to such activities, in\n\naccordance with the standards established under this title for such\n\neffects which result from surface coal mining operations. The\n\nDepartment shall make such modifications in the requirements imposed\n\nby this paragraph as are necessary to accommodate the distinct\n\ndifference between surface and underground coal mining;\n\n11. Minimize, to the extent possible using the best technology\n\ncurrently available, disturbances and adverse impacts of the\n\noperation on fish, wildlife and related environmental values and\n\nachieve enhancement of such resources where practicable; and\n\n12. Locate openings for all new drift mines working acid-\n\nproducing or iron-producing coal seams in such a manner as to\n\nprevent a gravity discharge of water from the mine.","path":["OK Code","Title 45"],"source_url":"https://www.oklegislature.gov/OK_Statutes/CompleteTitles/os45.pdf","current_through":"2026-08-14","vintage":"open-us-law v2026.08, retrieved 2026-09-14","retrieved_at":"2026-09-14T18:32:36Z","sha256":"468e56254666c8a3be0124089382fe8655bd60613e07280fcdefb129ac8ee8f1","source_id":"us-ok","stale":false,"prev":"us-ok/okla.-stat.-tit.-45-45-757","next":"us-ok/okla.-stat.-tit.-45-45-760.1"},"notice":"GroundRules: Original legal text. Not legal advice."}