2023 New Mexico Statutes › Chapter 69 - Mines › Article 25A - Surface Mining › Section 69-25A-21 - Inspection and monitoring.

A. The commission, by regulation, shall require any permittee to:
(1) establish and maintain appropriate records;
(2) make monthly reports to the director;
(3) install, use and maintain any necessary monitoring equipment or methods;
(4) evaluate results in accordance with such manner as the commission shall prescribe by regulation; and
(5) provide such other information relative to surface coal mining and reclamation operations as the commission, by regulation, deems reasonable and necessary.
B. For those surface coal mining and reclamation operations which remove or disturb strata that serve as aquifers which significantly insure the water supply for water users either on or off the mining site, the director shall specify:
(1) monitoring sites to record the quantity and quality of surface drainage above and below the mine site as well as in the potential zone of influence;
(2) monitoring sites to record level, amount and samples of ground water and aquifers potentially affected by the mining and also directly below the lowermost (deepest) coal seam to be mined;
(3) records of well logs and borehole data to be maintained; and
(4) monitoring sites to record precipitation.
C. The monitoring data collection and analysis required by this section shall be conducted according to standards and procedures set forth by regulation of the commission in order to assure their reliability and validity.
D. The authorized representatives of the director without advance notice and upon presentation of appropriate credentials:
(1) shall have the right of entry to, upon or through any surface coal mining and reclamation operations or any premises in which any records required to be maintained under Subsection A of this section are located; and
(2) may at reasonable times, and without delay, have access to and copy any records, inspect any monitoring equipment or method of operation required under the Surface Mining Act.
E. The inspections by the director shall:
(1) occur on an irregular basis averaging not less than one partial inspection per month and one complete inspection per calendar quarter for the surface coal mining and reclamation operation covered by each permit;
(2) occur without prior notice to the permittee or his agents or employees except for necessary on-site meetings with the permittee; and
(3) include the filing of inspection reports adequate to enforce the requirements of and to carry out the terms and purposes of the Surface Mining Act.
F. Each permittee shall conspicuously maintain at the entrances to the surface coal mining and reclamation operations a clearly visible sign which sets forth the name, business address and phone number of the permittee and the permit number of the surface coal mining and reclamation operation.
G. Each inspector, upon detection of each violation of any requirement of the Surface Mining Act, or regulation issued thereunder, shall forthwith inform the operator in writing, and shall report in writing any such violation to the director.
H. Copies of any records, reports, inspection materials or information obtained under the Surface Mining Act by the director, except for material required by law to be kept confidential, shall be made immediately available to the public at central and sufficient locations in the county, multicounty and state area of mining so that they are conveniently available to residents in the areas of mining.
History:
Laws 1979, ch. 291, § 21.
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