reglab/housing_qa huggingface dataset:
MD. Environment Code Ann. §  15-807 (2021)
2021 Maryland Statutes|Environment|Title 15 - Mines and Mining|Subtitle 8 - Surface Mining|Section 15-807 - Surface Mining License

    (a)    Except as otherwise provided in this subtitle, a person may not engage in surface mining within the State without first obtaining a surface mining license.    (b)    An application for a license shall be in writing and on a form prepared and furnished by the Department. If the application is made by a corporation, partnership, or association it shall contain information concerning its officers, directors, and principal owners, as the Department reasonably requires.    (c)    The application shall be accompanied by a $300 fee. The license shall be renewable annually, and the renewal fee is $150. The application for renewal shall be made annually by January 1.    (d)    The Department may not issue any new surface mining license or renew any existing surface mining license to any person if it finds, after investigation, that the applicant has failed and continues to fail to comply with any of the provisions of this subtitle.    (e)    A license under this section is not required for the following activities:        (1)    Those aspects of deep mining that do not have a significant effect on the surface, if the affected land does not exceed 3 acres in area;        (2)    Operations engaged in processing minerals;        (3)    Excavation or grading conducted solely in aid of on-site farming or on-site construction for purposes other than surface mining;        (4)    Removal of overburden and mining of limited amounts of any mineral when done only for the purpose of prospecting and to the extent necessary to determine the location, quantity, or quality of any natural deposit, if no minerals are sold, processed for sale, or consumed in the regular operation of business;        (5)    The handling, processing, or storage of slag and stone on the premises of a manufacturer as a part of any manufacturing process that requires stone as a raw material or produces slag as a by-product;        (6)    The extraction of minerals by a landowner for the landowner’s own noncommercial use from land owned or leased by the landowner;        (7)    Mining operations if the affected land does not exceed 1 acre in area;        (8)    Dredging from submerged public or private lands in the State if this activity is conducted under a license from the State Board of Public Works or by permit from the Department, as provided for in Title 16 of this article; or        (9)    The extraction of sand, gravel, rock, stone, earth, or fill from borrow pits for highway construction purposes or other public facilities, if the work is performed under a bond, a contract, and the specifications of the Department that require reclamation of the area affected in the manner provided by this subtitle.    (f)    Any person who violates the provisions of this section is guilty of a misdemeanor and, on conviction, is subject to a fine of not more than $10,000. The fine shall be paid to the Surface Mined Land Reclamation Fund.
MD. Environment Code Ann. §  15-809 (2021)
2021 Maryland Statutes|Environment|Title 15 - Mines and Mining|Subtitle 8 - Surface Mining|Section 15-809 - Review of Application and Accompanying Documents; Notice; Hearing

    (a)    On receipt of an application and accompanying documents, the Department shall review it and make further inquiries, inspections, or examinations as necessary or desirable for proper evaluation. If the Department objects to any part of the application or accompanying documents, it shall notify promptly the applicant by certified mail, return receipt requested, bearing a postmark from the United States Postal Service, of its objections, setting forth its reasons, and shall afford the applicant a reasonable opportunity to make amendments or take actions required to remove the objections. The Department shall submit a copy of the application and accompanying documents to the Department of Planning for review with respect to matters that are the responsibility of the Department of Planning.    (b)    Public notice and informational hearings shall be conducted in accordance with the provisions of § 5-204(b) through (e) of this article.    (c)    The Department may waive the notice requirements of this section and the holding of a public informational hearing on an application for a permit that affects an area that is 5 acres or less in size or a permit modification that affects an area that is 20 acres or less in size.
MD. Environment Code Ann. §  15-810 (2021)
2021 Maryland Statutes|Environment|Title 15 - Mines and Mining|Subtitle 8 - Surface Mining|Section 15-810 - Approval or Denial of Permit

    (a)    The Department shall approve and grant or deny the permit requested as expeditiously as possible, but not later than 30 days after the application forms or any supplemental information required are filed with the Department. The Department shall process the permit application concurrently with any local or county land use and zoning reviews.    (b)    The Department may deny the permit on finding that:        (1)    Any requirement of this subtitle or any rule or regulation adopted under it will be violated by the proposed operation;        (2)    The operation will have an unduly adverse effect on wildlife or fresh water, estuarine, or marine fisheries;        (3)    The applicant has failed to provide applicable permits or approvals covering the operation from all State and local regulatory agencies responsible for air and water pollution and sediment control;        (4)    The operation will constitute a substantial physical hazard to a neighboring dwelling house, school, church, hospital, commercial or industrial building, public road, or other public or private property in existence at the time of application for the permit;        (5)    The operation will have a significantly adverse effect on the uses of a publicly owned park, forest, or recreation area in existence at the time of application for the permit;        (6)    The applicant does not possess a valid surface mining license from the State;        (7)    The applicant has not corrected all violations which he may have committed under any prior permit and which resulted in:            (i)    Revocation of his permit;            (ii)    Termination of the operation by order of the Department;            (iii)    Forfeiture of part or all of his bond or other security;            (iv)    Conviction of a misdemeanor under §§ 15–807(f) and 15–808(k) of this subtitle; or            (v)    Any other court order issued against the applicant as a result of departmental action; or        (8)    Previous experience with similar operations indicates a substantial probability that the operation will result in substantial deposits of sediment in stream beds or lakes, landslides, or other water pollution.    (c)    The Department may not issue the permit until the appropriate county has:        (1)    Completed its review of the proposed land use; and        (2)    Provided the Department with a written statement that states that the proposed land use conforms with all applicable county zoning and land use requirements.    (d)    In the absence of any of these findings, a permit shall be granted. However, no permit becomes effective until the applicant has deposited with the Department an acceptable performance bond or other security pursuant to § 15–823 of this subtitle.    (e)    Public notice, informational hearings, and judicial review shall be conducted in accordance with the provisions of § 5–204 of this article.
MD. Environment Code Ann. §  15-811 (2021)
2021 Maryland Statutes|Environment|Title 15 - Mines and Mining|Subtitle 8 - Surface Mining|Section 15-811 - Conditions for a Permit

    (a)    Any permit issued shall be expressly conditioned upon compliance with all requirements of the approved mining and reclamation plan for the operation and with further reasonable and appropriate requirements and safeguards deemed necessary by the Department to assure that the operation will comply fully with the requirements and objectives of this subtitle. The conditions may include a requirement of visual screening, vegetative or otherwise, to screen the view of the operation from public highways, public parks, or residential areas existing at the time of the original application, if the Department finds screening to be feasible and desirable.    (b)    Violation of these conditions shall be treated as a violation of this subtitle subject to the remedies and penalties under § 15-808(k), § 15-821, or § 15-832 of this subtitle.
MD. Environment Code Ann. §  15-812 (2021)
2021 Maryland Statutes|Environment|Title 15 - Mines and Mining|Subtitle 8 - Surface Mining|Section 15-812 - Dewatering in Karst Terrain; Legislative Intent; Zones of Dewatering Influence Established; Program Established

    (a)    The General Assembly finds that in certain regions of the State dewatering of surface mines located in karst terrain may significantly interfere with water supply wells and may cause in some instances sudden subsidence of land, known as sinkholes. Dewatering in karst terrain may result in property damage to landowners in a definable zone of dewatering influence around a surface mine.    (b)    It is the intent of the General Assembly to protect affected property owners in Baltimore, Carroll, Frederick, and Washington counties where karst terrain is found by directing the Department to establish zones of dewatering influence around surface mines in karst terrain and to administer a program requiring permittees to mitigate or compensate affected property owners in these counties.
MD. Environment Code Ann. §  15-814 (2021)
2021 Maryland Statutes|Environment|Title 15 - Mines and Mining|Subtitle 8 - Surface Mining|Section 15-814 - Length of Term of Permit

    (a)    Except as provided in subsection (b) of this section, a surface mining permit shall be granted for such period as requested and deemed reasonable, but not exceeding 25 years. If the mining operation has been completed and the reclamation required under the approved mining and reclamation plan is completed prior to the expiration of the permit, the permit may terminate. Termination of a permit does not relieve the permittee of any obligations which he has incurred under his approved mining and reclamation plan or otherwise. If the permittee wishes to continue operation of his preparation plant, his permit may remain valid but shall be modified.    (b)    A permit shall be void if surface mining has not commenced within two years of its issuance.
MD. Environment Code Ann. §  15-815 (2021)
2021 Maryland Statutes|Environment|Title 15 - Mines and Mining|Subtitle 8 - Surface Mining|Section 15-815 - Permit Modification

    (a)    Any permittee engaged in surface mining under a surface mining permit may apply at any time for modification of the permit. The application shall be in writing on forms furnished by the Department and fully state the information called for. In addition, the applicant may be required to furnish other information the Department reasonably deems necessary to enforce this subtitle. However, it is not necessary to resubmit information which has not changed since the original application, if the applicant so states in writing.    (b)    A modification under this section may affect the land area covered by the permit, the approved mining and reclamation plan coupled with the permit, or other terms and conditions of the permit. A permit may be modified to include land contiguous to the existing affected land, but not other lands. The mining and reclamation plan may be modified in any manner, if the Department determines that the modified plan fully meets the standards set forth in § 15-822 of this subtitle and that the modifications would be generally consistent with the bases for the issuance of the original permit. Other terms and conditions may be modified only if the Department determines that the permit as modified would meet the requirements of §§ 15-808 and 15-810 of this subtitle. No modification may extend the expiration date of any permit issued under this subtitle.    (c)    Except as otherwise provided in subsection (d) of this section, a $100 fee shall be charged for a permit modification.    (d)    (1)    In addition to the fee required in subsection (c) of this section, a fee shall be charged equal to $12 for each additional acre of affected land over and above the amount of land covered in the original permit, for each year of operation.        (2)    The additional fee may not exceed $1,000 per year.    (e)    The Department shall approve and grant the permit modification requested as expeditiously as possible but not later than 30 days after the application forms or any supplemental information required are filed with the Department.    (f)    The Department may deny the permit modification on finding:        (1)    An uncorrected violation of the type listed in § 15-810(b)(7) of this subtitle;        (2)    Failure to submit an adequate mining and reclamation plan in light of conditions existing at the time of the modification; or        (3)    Failure or refusal to pay the modification fee.    (g)    If the Department denies an application to modify a permit, the Department shall give the permittee written notice of:        (1)    The Department’s determination;        (2)    Any changes in the application which would make it acceptable; and        (3)    The permittee’s right to a hearing at a stated time and place.    (h)    The date for the hearing may not be less than 15 days nor more than 30 days after the date of the notice unless the Department and the permittee mutually agree on another date.
MD. Environment Code Ann. §  15-816 (2021)
2021 Maryland Statutes|Environment|Title 15 - Mines and Mining|Subtitle 8 - Surface Mining|Section 15-816 - Permit Renewal

    (a)    The procedure to be followed and standards to be applied in renewing a permit shall be the same as those for the initial application for a permit, except that it is not necessary to resubmit information which has not changed since the time of the original application, if the applicant so states in writing. However, the applicant may be required to furnish other information the Department deems necessary to evaluate the renewal request. In the absence of any changes in legal requirements for the issuance of a permit since the date on which the original permit was issued, the only basis for the denial of a renewal permit shall be:        (1)    An uncorrected violation of the type listed in § 15-810(b)(7) of this subtitle;        (2)    Failure to submit an adequate mining and reclamation plan in light of conditions existing at the time of renewal; or        (3)    Failure or refusal to pay the renewal fee.    (b)    Application for a renewal of a permit cannot be made any earlier than 1 year prior to the expiration date of the original permit.    (c)    Except as otherwise provided in subsection (d) of this section, the fee to be charged for a permit renewal shall be $12 for each acre of affected land for each year of operation, but not exceeding $1,000 per year.    (d)    The fee shall be paid annually during the term of the permit.    (e)    If the term of a permit which is renewed exceeds 5 years, the permittee shall pay additional fees, based on the formula in subsection (c) of this section, for each 5-year portion of the term of the renewed permit. These additional fees shall be paid to the Department within 1 year before the completion of any 5-year portion of the term of the permit.    (f)    If the Department denies an application to renew a permit, the Department shall give the permittee written notice of:        (1)    The Department’s determination;        (2)    Any changes in the application that would make it acceptable; and        (3)    The permittee’s right to a hearing at a stated time and place.    (g)    The date for the hearing may not be less than 15 days nor more than 30 days after the date of the notice unless the Department and the permittee mutually agree on another date.
MD. Environment Code Ann. §  15-817 (2021)
2021 Maryland Statutes|Environment|Title 15 - Mines and Mining|Subtitle 8 - Surface Mining|Section 15-817 - Effective Date of Modification or Renewal

    No modification or renewal of a permit becomes effective until any required changes have been made in the performance bond or other security posted under the provisions of § 15-823 of this subtitle, so as to assure the performance of obligations assumed by the permittee under the permit and the mining and reclamation plan.
MD. Environment Code Ann. §  15-818 (2021)
2021 Maryland Statutes|Environment|Title 15 - Mines and Mining|Subtitle 8 - Surface Mining|Section 15-818 - New Permit in Lieu of Modification or Renewal

    In lieu of a modification or renewal, a permittee may apply for a new permit in the manner prescribed by §§ 15-808 and 15-822 of this subtitle.
MD. Environment Code Ann. §  15-819 (2021)
2021 Maryland Statutes|Environment|Title 15 - Mines and Mining|Subtitle 8 - Surface Mining|Section 15-819 - Transfer of Permit

    (a)    When the interest of a permittee in any uncompleted mining operation is sold, leased, assigned, or otherwise disposed of, the Department may release the first permittee from all liabilities imposed upon him by this subtitle with reference to the operation and transfer the permit to the successor in interest, if both the permittee and the successor in interest have complied with the requirements of this subtitle and the successor in interest assumes the duties and responsibilities of the first permittee with reference to reclamation of the land according to the authorized mining and reclamation plan and posts suitable bond or other security required by § 15-823 of this subtitle.    (b)    The successor in interest shall pay a $500 fee on filing a transfer of permit.    (c)    The Department shall approve and grant the permit transfer as expeditiously as possible but not later than 30 days after the application forms or any supplemental information required are filed with the Department.    (d)    The Department may deny the permit transfer on finding:        (1)    That either permittee has an uncorrected violation of the type listed in § 15-810(b)(7) of this subtitle;        (2)    Failure of the successor permittee to submit an adequate mining and reclamation plan in light of conditions existing at the time of the modification; or        (3)    Failure of the successor permittee to pay the transfer fee.    (e)    If the Department denies an application to transfer a permit, the Department shall give the permittee and the successor in interest written notice of:        (1)    The Department’s determination;        (2)    Any changes in the application which would make it acceptable; and        (3)    The right of the permittee and the successor in interest to a hearing at a stated time and place.    (f)    The date for the hearing may not be less than 15 days nor more than 30 days after the date of the notice unless the parties mutually agree on another date.
MD. Environment Code Ann. §  15-820 (2021)
2021 Maryland Statutes|Environment|Title 15 - Mines and Mining|Subtitle 8 - Surface Mining|Section 15-820 - Departmental Modification of Permit or of Mining and Reclamation Plan

    (a)    If the Department determines from the inspections of the affected land required by § 15-828 of this subtitle 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 permittee 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 permittee’s right to a hearing on the proposed modification at a stated time and place.    (b)    The date for the hearing may not be less than 15 days nor more than 30 days after the date of the notice unless the Department and the permittee mutually agree on another date. Following 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 deems reasonably appropriate in view of the evidence submitted at the hearing. Refusal of the permittee to comply with the conditions set forth in the permit so modified by the Department shall result in the revocation of the permit.    (c)    No fee may be charged to the permittee for a departmental modification of the permit.
MD. Environment Code Ann. §  15-821 (2021)
2021 Maryland Statutes|Environment|Title 15 - Mines and Mining|Subtitle 8 - Surface Mining|Section 15-821 - Suspension or Revocation of a Permit

    (a)    (1)    The Department shall serve written notice of a violation on the permittee or person required to have a permit, specifying the facts constituting the apparent violation if the Department has reason to believe that a violation of this subtitle, any rules or regulations adopted under this subtitle, or the terms and conditions of a permit, including the approved mining and reclamation plan has occurred.        (2)    The Department also shall inform the permittee or person required to have a permit of the right to a hearing. Subsequent to or concurrent with service of the written notice, the Department may suspend the permit or issue an order requiring necessary corrective actions be taken within the time prescribed in its order.    (b)    Any person that receives a notice of suspension or violation or an order under this section may request in writing a hearing before the Department not later than 10 days after the date the order is served, in which case a hearing shall be scheduled within 10 days from receipt of the request. The permittee or person required to have a permit may appear at the hearing, either personally or through counsel, and present evidence. The Department shall render a decision regarding the violation within 30 days from the date of the hearing.    (c)    The Department may revoke the permit if the violation is not corrected.    (d)    Any permittee whose permit is suspended or revoked shall be denied a new permit or a renewal of the old permit to engage in mining until the permittee has complied fully with:        (1)    The provisions of this subtitle;        (2)    Any regulations adopted under this subtitle; and        (3)    The terms and conditions of the permittee’s permit, including any modifications, and the approved mining and reclamation plan, and until the permittee has satisfactorily corrected all previous violations.
MD. Environment Code Ann. §  15-824 (2021)
2021 Maryland Statutes|Environment|Title 15 - Mines and Mining|Subtitle 8 - Surface Mining|Section 15-824 - Release of Bond

    (a)    On completion of the mining operations, and after the requirements of the permit have been fully complied with, the Department shall release the bond.    (b)    An amount of the bond or cash deposit, proportioned to the restored portion of the affected land in ratio to all of the affected land covered by the permit, may be released on application by the permittee and inspection and approval by the Department.