California Code of Regulations › Title 14 - Natural Resources › Division 2 - Department of Conservation › Chapter 8 - Mining and Geology › Subchapter 1 - State Mining and Geology Board › Article 1 - Surface Mining and Reclamation Practice › Section 3501 - Definitions

Current through Register 2024 Notice Reg. No. 28, July 12, 2024
The following definitions as used herein shall govern the
						interpretation of these regulations:
Agricultural Activity. The cultivation and tillage of the
						soil, dairying, the production, cultivation, growing and harvesting of any
						agricultural commodity, the raising of livestock or poultry, and any practices
						performed by a farmer or on a farm as incident to or in conjunction with those
						farming operations, including preparation of these products for market.
Angle of Repose. The maximum angle of slope (measured
						from horizontal plane) at which loose cohesionless material will come to rest
						on a pile of similar material.
Backfill. Earth, overburden, mine waste or imported
						material used to replace material removed during mining.
Borrow Pits. Excavations created by the surface mining of
						rock, unconsolidated geologic deposits or soil to provide material (borrow) for
						fill elsewhere.
Critical Gradient. The maximum stable inclination of an
						unsupported slope under the most adverse conditions that it will likely
						experience, as determined by current engineering technology.
Excavations for On-Site Construction. Earth material
						moving activities that are required to prepare a site for construction of
						structures, landscaping, or other land improvements (such as excavation,
						grading, compaction, and the creation of fills and embankments), or that in and
						of themselves constitute engineered works (such as dams, road cuts, fills, and
						catchment basins).
Grading. To bring an existing surface to a designed form
						by cutting, filling, and/or smoothing operations.
Minerals. Any naturally occurring chemical element or
						compound, or groups of elements and compounds, formed from inorganic processes
						and organic substances, including, but not limited to, coal, peat, and
						bituminous rock, but excluding geothermal resources, natural gas, and
						petroleum.
Person. Any individual, firm, association, corporation,
						organization, or partnership, or any city, county, district, or the state or
						any department or agency thereof.
Reclamation Plan. The applicant's (operator's) completed
						and approved plan for reclaiming the lands affected by his surface mining
						operations conducted after January 1, 1976, as called for in Section
						2772 of the Act.
Resoiling. The process of artificially building or
						reconstructing a soil profile.
Stream Bed Skimming. Excavation of sand and gravel from
						stream bed deposits above the mean summer water level or stream bottom,
						whichever is higher.
Surface Mining Operations. In addition to the provisions
						of Section
						2735 of the Act, borrow pitting,
						streambed skimming, segregation and stockpiling of mined materials (and
						recovery of same) are deemed to be surface mining operations unless
						specifically excluded under Section
						2714 of the Act or Section
						3505 of these regulations.
Topsoil. The upper part of the soil profile that is
						relatively rich in humus, which is technically known as the A-horizon of the
						soil profile.
1.
						Repealer of former Section
						3501, and renumbering and
						amendment of former Section
						3502 to Section
						3501 filed 4-29-85; effective
						thirtieth day thereafter (Register 85, No. 18). For prior history, see
						Registers 82, No. 33 and 79, No. 35.
2. Change without regulatory
						effect deleting definition of "Intermittent Operation" filed 1-10-96 pursuant
						to section
						100, title 1, California Code of
						Regulations (Register 96, No. 2).
3. Amendment adding definition of
						"Agricultural Activity" filed 9-18-97; operative 10-18-97 (Register 97, No.
						38).
4. Change without regulatory effect repealing definition of
						"Temporarily Deactivated Operation" filed 3-29-2000 pursuant to section
						100, title 1, California Code of
						Regulations (Register 2000, No. 13).
Note: Authority cited: Section
						  2755,
						  Public Resources Code. Reference: Sections
						  2726-
						  2735,
						  Public Resources Code.