reglab/housing_qa huggingface dataset:
MD. Environment Code Ann. §  15-517 (2021)
2021 Maryland Statutes|Environment|Title 15 - Mines and Mining|Subtitle 5 - Strip Mining|Section 15-517 - Bond Supplement Reserve

    (a)    The Secretary shall establish within the Bituminous Coal Open-Pit Mining Reclamation Fund a bond supplement reserve to be used if funds received from the forfeiture of bonds under § 15-514 of this subtitle are not sufficient:        (1)    To reclaim the land affected by the operation on which the liability was charged on the bond; and        (2)    To perform:            (i)    The requirements of this subtitle;            (ii)    The requirements of regulations adopted under this subtitle; and            (iii)    Any permit condition that the operator has failed to perform.    (b)    The Secretary shall deposit to the credit of the bond supplement reserve the following funds:        (1)    A portion of the assessment under § 15-509(b)(1) of this subtitle equal to 2 cents for each ton of coal produced for the month;        (2)    The amount of the assessment under § 15-509(b)(2) of this subtitle; and        (3)    The amount of the assessment under § 15-509(d) of this subtitle.    (c)    When the amount of money in the bond supplement reserve equals or exceeds $750,000 at the end of the month, deposits into the reserve of the amounts provided in subsection (b)(1) and (2) of this section shall end temporarily.    (d)    The assessment under § 15-509(d) of this subtitle shall end temporarily for any month when:        (1)    The amount of money in the bond supplement reserve equals or exceeds $750,000 at the end of the month;        (2)    An amount equal to the amount paid to the bond supplement reserve under subsection (b)(1) of this section from the assessment under § 15-509(d) of this subtitle has been credited to the Bituminous Coal Open-Pit Mining Reclamation Fund; and        (3)    An amount equal to the amount paid to the bond supplement reserve under subsection (b)(2) of this section from the assessment under § 15-509(d) of this subtitle has been remitted to the fiscal authority of the county in which the coal was removed.    (e)    At the end of any month when the amount of money in the bond supplement reserve is reduced below $500,000:        (1)    The assessment under § 15-509(d) of this subtitle shall resume; and        (2)    Deposits into the bond supplement reserve of the amounts in subsection (b)(1), (2), and (3) of this section shall resume.    (f)    The Secretary shall notify each county when remitting or suspending the remittance of the amount under § 15-509(b)(2) of this subtitle.    (g)    The Secretary shall meet and confer with the Land Reclamation Committee at least 30 days before procuring any services for which funds from the bond supplement reserve will be used, and shall provide the Committee an opportunity to submit comments and recommendations about the proposed expenditure.
MD. Environment Code Ann. §  15-519 (2021)
2021 Maryland Statutes|Environment|Title 15 - Mines and Mining|Subtitle 5 - Strip Mining|Section 15-519 - Assumption of Certain Costs by Department

    (a)    If the Department finds that the probable total annual production at all locations of a surface coal mining operator will not exceed 300,000 tons, the cost of the following activities, which shall be performed by a qualified public or private laboratory or such other public or private qualified entity designated by the Department, shall be assumed by the Department upon written request of the operator in connection with a permit application:        (1)    The determination of probable hydrologic consequences required by § 15-505(c)(4) of this subtitle, including engineering analyses and designs necessary for the determination;        (2)    The development of cross-section maps and plans required by § 15-505(c)(7) of this subtitle;        (3)    The geologic drilling and statement of results of test borings and core samplings required by § 15-505(c)(3) of this subtitle;        (4)    The collection of any archaeological and historical information required by the Department and the preparation of plans necessitated thereby;        (5)    Preblast surveys required by the Department; and        (6)    The collection of site-specific resource information and production of protection and enhancement plans for fish and wildlife habitats and other environmental values required by the Department under this subtitle.    (b)    The Department shall provide or assume the cost of training coal operators that meet the qualifications in subsection (a) of this section concerning the preparation of permit applications and compliance with the Maryland Surface Mining Control Program, and shall ensure that qualified coal operators are aware of the assistance available under this section.    (c)    A coal operator that receives assistance pursuant to this section shall reimburse the Department for the cost of the services rendered if the Department finds that the operator’s actual and attributed annual production of coal for all locations exceeds 300,000 tons during the 12 months immediately following the date on which the operator is issued the surface coal mining and reclamation permit.
MD. Environment Code Ann. §  15-520 (2021)
2021 Maryland Statutes|Environment|Title 15 - Mines and Mining|Subtitle 5 - Strip Mining|Section 15-520 - Penalties Under Subtitle

    (a)    Any person who mines coal by the open-pit mining method as an operator without having applied for and received a license as provided in this subtitle is guilty of a misdemeanor. On conviction, he is subject to a fine of not less than $5,000 and not exceeding $10,000, or imprisonment not exceeding six months, or both.    (b)    Any person who mines coal by the open-pit mining method without having received a permit, as provided in this subtitle, who mines coal by the open-pit mining method without securing an amended permit, who mines coal by the open-pit mining method without furnishing the proper bond required by this subtitle, who knowingly or intentionally submits false information to the Department, or knowingly fails to make any statement, representation, or certification in any document required to be filed with the Department, or who does not fully comply with every provision and requirement of this subtitle or any rule, regulation, permit, notice or order issued pursuant thereto, is guilty of a misdemeanor, and upon conviction, is subject to a fine of not more than $10,000 or by imprisonment for not more than 1 year or both.    (c)    Any person who mines coal by the open-pit or strip method on any land the State owns in violation of § 15-505 of this subtitle without a permit the Bureau issues is guilty of a misdemeanor and upon conviction is subject to a fine of not less than $1,000 and not exceeding $10,000 or imprisonment not exceeding two years, or both. A separate offense shall exist for each day a violation occurs.    In addition to any fine imposed, every person convicted of violating § 15-505 shall pay the Director a sum sufficient to reclaim the area mined.    (d)    Any fine imposed under this subtitle by the District Court shall be paid to the State. A fine imposed by the circuit court for any county shall be paid to the Bituminous Coal Open-Pit Mining Reclamation Fund. A fine imposed under this section and paid into the Fund shall be used for the sole purpose of foresting or reclaiming land affected by open-pit mining of bituminous coal.    (e)    Any person who shall willfully resist, prevent, impede, or interfere with the Secretary or any of his agents in the performance of duties under this subtitle shall be guilty of a misdemeanor, and on conviction, is subject to a fine of not more than $5,000 or by imprisonment for not more than 1 year or both.
MD. Environment Code Ann. §  15-522 (2021)
2021 Maryland Statutes|Environment|Title 15 - Mines and Mining|Subtitle 5 - Strip Mining|Section 15-522 - Liability of Officers or Agents for Corporate Violations

    Whenever a corporation or limited liability company violates any rule or regulation promulgated under § 15-503 of this subtitle, any permit issued pursuant to this subtitle, or fails to correct a violation within the time specified by a notice or order issued under § 15-508(c) or (e) of this subtitle, any officer, director or agent of the corporation or limited liability company who willfully and knowingly authorized, ordered or carried out the violation or failure shall be subject to the penalty provisions of § 15-520(b) and § 15-521(b) and (c) of this subtitle.
MD. Environment Code Ann. §  15-523 (2021)
2021 Maryland Statutes|Environment|Title 15 - Mines and Mining|Subtitle 5 - Strip Mining|Section 15-523 - Enforcement or Enjoining Violation of Order, Notice, Rule, Regulation, or Permit

    (a)    On application of the Department, acting through the Attorney General, verified by oath, the circuit court for the county where a mining operation is located may, by appropriate order, enforce compliance with or enjoin the violation of any order, notice, rule, regulation or permit of the Department issued under this subtitle.    (b)    The provisions of this section are not intended to expand the authority of the Secretary to adopt rules and regulations as otherwise provided by law.
MD. Environment Code Ann. §  15-525 (2021)
2021 Maryland Statutes|Environment|Title 15 - Mines and Mining|Subtitle 5 - Strip Mining|Section 15-525 - Blasting or Use of Explosives

    No person may engage in or be directly responsible for blasting or the use of explosives in open-pit mining operations without being certified by the Department. The Department shall establish a program providing training, examination and certification.
MD. Environment Code Ann. §  15-526 (2021)
2021 Maryland Statutes|Environment|Title 15 - Mines and Mining|Subtitle 5 - Strip Mining|Section 15-526 - Oaths and Subpoenas; Record of Hearing

    For the purpose of any hearing required by this subtitle, the Department is authorized to administer oaths, subpoena witnesses, or written or printed materials, and take evidence including but not limited to inspections of the land affected and other surface coal mining operations carried on by the operator in the general vicinity. A verbatim record of each hearing required by this subtitle shall be made unless waived by all parties, and a transcript made available on the motion of any party or by order of the Department.
MD. Environment Code Ann. §  15-527 (2021)
2021 Maryland Statutes|Environment|Title 15 - Mines and Mining|Subtitle 5 - Strip Mining|Section 15-527 - State Employees Not to Have Financial Interest

    (a)    An employee of the State of Maryland who performs any function or duty under this subtitle may not have a direct or indirect financial interest in any open-pit or deep mining operation. For purposes of this section, prohibited financial interests shall be determined in accordance with federal regulations adopted under the federal Surface Mining Control and Reclamation Act of 1977 (Public Law 95-87).    (b)    This section is intended to be read in conjunction with and to supplement the provisions of the Maryland Public Ethics Law, but in the event of any conflict, the requirements of this section shall prevail.    (c)    Any person who knowingly violates any provision of this section is guilty of a misdemeanor and, on conviction, is subject to a fine of not more than $2,500 or imprisonment for not more than 1 year or both.
MD. Environment Code Ann. §  15-528 (2021)
2021 Maryland Statutes|Environment|Title 15 - Mines and Mining|Subtitle 5 - Strip Mining|Section 15-528 - Civil Actions

    (a)    Except as provided in subsection (b) of this section, any person, as defined in this subtitle, who has an interest that is or may be adversely affected may commence a civil action on his own behalf to compel compliance with this subtitle:        (1)    Against the Department if there is alleged a failure of the Department to perform any act or duty under this subtitle that is not discretionary; or        (2)    Against any other person who is alleged to be in violation of any rule, regulation, order, or permit issued under this subtitle.    (b)    An action may not be commenced under subsection (a) of this section:        (1)    Prior to 60 days after the plaintiff has given notice in writing of the alleged violation to the Department, the Attorney General, and to any alleged violator; provided that, the action may be brought immediately if the alleged violation constitutes an imminent threat to the health or safety of the plaintiff, or would immediately affect a legal interest of the plaintiff; or        (2)    If the Department or the State has commenced and is diligently prosecuting a civil action to require compliance under this subtitle, but any person may intervene in the action as a matter of right.    (c)    The Secretary of the United States Department of Interior may intervene as a matter of right in any action brought under this subtitle.    (d)    This section is intended to be read in conjunction with and to supplement the provisions of Subtitle 5 of Title 1 of the Natural Resources Article (Environmental Standing Act), but in the event of any conflict, the requirements of this section shall prevail.
MD. Environment Code Ann. §  15-529 (2021)
2021 Maryland Statutes|Environment|Title 15 - Mines and Mining|Subtitle 5 - Strip Mining|Section 15-529 - Severability

    If any provision of this subtitle or the applicability thereof to any person or circumstances is held invalid, the remainder of this subtitle and the application of such provision to other persons or circumstances shall not be affected thereby.
MD. Environment Code Ann. §  15-601 (2021)
2021 Maryland Statutes|Environment|Title 15 - Mines and Mining|Subtitle 6 - Deep Mine Control|Section 15-601 - Definitions

    (a)    In this subtitle the following words have the meanings indicated.    (b)    “Abandoned” means an operation from which coal has not been removed for a six-month period.    (c)    “Affected area” means: (i) the land within the permit area from which coal is removed and which is occupied by pillars; (ii) all land adjacent to the mine openings utilized by the operator; and (iii) off-site disposal areas.    (d)    “Completed” means an operation where backfilling, sealing, revegetation, and other requirements of the permit have been accomplished.    (e)    “Deep mining” means the extraction of coal through underground mining methods, including gaining access to the coal deposits by means of vertical or inclined shafts, by drift mining from the coal outcrop, or by other means that do not involve the stripping away of overburden to expose the deposit.    (f)    “Mine opening sealing” means adequate sealing of a mine so that discharge from the mine is not or will not become injurious to animal or aquatic life or to use of water for domestic or industrial consumption or recreation or does not or will not violate water quality or effluent standards.    (g)    “Opening” means a passage into a coal bed that is used for haulage, traveling ways, ventilation, or removal or introduction of water.    (h)    “Operator” means any person, partnership, or corporation who removes or intends to remove more than 250 tons of coal from the earth by deep coal mining within 12 consecutive calendar months in any one location.    (i)    “Subsidence” means the sinking or settling of a land surface area from beneath which coal has been extracted.
MD. Environment Code Ann. §  15-602 (2021)
2021 Maryland Statutes|Environment|Title 15 - Mines and Mining|Subtitle 6 - Deep Mine Control|Section 15-602 - Legislative Intent

    In this subtitle the General Assembly intends to provide for the reclamation of the land affected by deep mining operations; provide for the protection of the waters of the State that otherwise might be affected adversely by pollution from deep mines; and provide for the improvement of the health, welfare, and living conditions in the communities and counties in which coal mining is an important industry.
MD. Environment Code Ann. §  15-603 (2021)
2021 Maryland Statutes|Environment|Title 15 - Mines and Mining|Subtitle 6 - Deep Mine Control|Section 15-603 - Powers and Duties of Secretary Generally

    (a)    The Secretary shall adopt rules and regulations for prevention of water pollution or damage to the land surface resulting from deep mining operations. The rules and regulations shall include standards and procedures for ensuring reclamation or sealing of mined areas after operations cease.    (b)    The Secretary may study and recommend and shall approve all procedures for reclamation, conservation, and revegetation of affected areas, including mine opening sealing, prevention or reclamation of subsidence damage, underground fires, disposition of spoil, restoration of plant cover, prevention of erosion, prevention of the creation of acid water, and any other actions that will ensure conservation and beneficial utilization of the natural resources of the State.    (c)    The Secretary shall review all mining and reclamation plans, progress reports, inspection reports, and completion reports.    (d)    The Secretary may enter to inspect any deep mine operation to determine reclamation progress, conservation, and water quality conditions and investigate for violations of this subtitle.    (e)    In order to protect the stability of land, the Secretary shall suspend deep mining under urbanized areas, cities, towns and communities and adjacent to industrial or commercial buildings, major impoundments or permanent streams if the Secretary finds imminent danger to inhabitants of the urbanized areas, cities, towns and communities.    (f)    The surface effects of deep mining shall be subject to the applicable provisions of Subtitle 5 of this title and any rules or regulations adopted pursuant thereto.
MD. Environment Code Ann. §  15-604 (2021)
2021 Maryland Statutes|Environment|Title 15 - Mines and Mining|Subtitle 6 - Deep Mine Control|Section 15-604 - Disposition of Fees

    All funds received by the Secretary from permit fees and surcharges shall be deposited to the credit of the Deep Mining Fund to be used only for the administration and implementation of this subtitle, including mine opening sealing and reclamation of subsidence damage.
MD. Environment Code Ann. §  15-605 (2021)
2021 Maryland Statutes|Environment|Title 15 - Mines and Mining|Subtitle 6 - Deep Mine Control|Section 15-605 - License

    (a)    A person may not continue or commence operation of any deep mine as an operator within the State without first obtaining a license from the Department.    (b)    The application for a license shall be made in writing on a form the Department furnishes and accompanied by a $200 fee. The application shall contain the information concerning the applicant that the Department requires. If a corporation, partnership, or association submits the application, it shall contain the information concerning officers, directors, and principal owners that the Department requires. Subject to subsection (c) of this section, a license is renewable annually on application made on or before January 1 of the next succeeding year and payment of a $10 renewal fee.    (c)    (1)    The Secretary shall investigate each application for a license or renewal.        (2)    The Secretary may not issue a license to or renew the license of an applicant if the Secretary finds that the applicant:            (i)    Failed to correct a violation of any rule or regulation adopted under this subtitle;            (ii)    Failed to comply with any provision of this subtitle; or            (iii)    Forfeited any bond posted in connection with deep mining activities in any state.        (3)    With respect to an application of a corporation, partnership, or association, the Secretary may not issue a license to or renew the license of the applicant, if the Secretary finds that any of its officers, directors, or principal owners:            (i)    Failed and continues to fail to comply with any provision of this subtitle;            (ii)    Is or has been an officer, or principal owner of any other corporation, partnership, or association that previously failed and continues to fail to comply with any provision of this subtitle; or            (iii)    Forfeited any bond posted in connection with deep mining activity in any state.        (4)    The provisions of this subsection are not intended to expand the authority of the Secretary to adopt rules and regulations as otherwise provided by law.
MD. Environment Code Ann. §  15-607 (2021)
2021 Maryland Statutes|Environment|Title 15 - Mines and Mining|Subtitle 6 - Deep Mine Control|Section 15-607 - Regulations Regarding Damage Due to Subsidence

    The Department shall adopt regulations to protect against, prevent, or correct material damage due to subsidence.
MD. Environment Code Ann. §  15-609 (2021)
2021 Maryland Statutes|Environment|Title 15 - Mines and Mining|Subtitle 6 - Deep Mine Control|Section 15-609 - Transfer of Permit

    (a)    When, by sale, lease, assignment, or otherwise, one operator succeeds to the interest of another in any uncompleted mining operation, the Department may release the first operator from all liabilities imposed on him by this subtitle with reference to the operation and transfer the permit to the successor operator, if both operators have complied with the requirements of this subtitle and the successor operator assumes the duties and responsibilities of the first operator with reference to reclamation of the land according to the authorized mining and reclamation plan and posts suitable bond or other security required by § 15-612 of this subtitle.    (b)    The successor operator shall pay a $20 fee on filing a transfer of permit.
MD. Environment Code Ann. §  15-610 (2021)
2021 Maryland Statutes|Environment|Title 15 - Mines and Mining|Subtitle 6 - Deep Mine Control|Section 15-610 - Activities Not Meeting Requirements of Subtitle

    (a)    If the Department determines that the activities under the mining and reclamation plan and other terms and conditions of the permit fail substantially to achieve the purposes and requirements of this subtitle, the Department shall give the operator written notice of:        (1)    The Department’s determination;        (2)    The Department’s intention to modify the mining and reclamation plan and other terms and conditions of the permit in a stated manner; and        (3)    The operator’s right to a hearing on the proposed modification at a stated time and place.    (b)    The hearing shall be held within 60 days after written notice is forwarded to the operator. After the hearing, the Department may modify the mining and reclamation plan and other terms and conditions of the permit in the manner stated in the notice or in another manner it considers reasonably appropriate in view of the evidence submitted at the hearing. Refusal of the operator to comply with the conditions set forth in the permit so modified by the Department shall result in the revocation of the permit.    (c)    A fee may not be charged to the operator for a departmental modification of the permit.