A. At the time of submission of an application for a surface coal mining and reclamation permit, or revision of an existing permit, pursuant to the provisions of the Surface Mining Act, the applicant shall submit to the director a copy of his advertisement of the ownership, precise location and boundaries of the land to be affected. At the time of submission, such advertisement shall be placed by the applicant in a local newspaper of general circulation in the county of the proposed surface mine at least once a week for four consecutive weeks. The director shall notify various local governmental bodies, planning agencies and sewage and water treatment authorities, and water companies in the locality in which the proposed surface mining will take place, of the operator’s intention to surface mine a particularly described tract of land and indicating the application number, if any, and where a copy of the proposed mining and reclamation plan may be inspected. These local bodies, agencies, authorities or companies may submit written comments with respect to the effects of the proposed operation on the environment which are within their area of responsibility within thirty days following the last publication of the above notice. Such comments shall immediately be transmitted to the applicant by the director and shall be made available to the public at the same locations as are the mining applications.

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B. Any person having an interest which is or may be adversely affected or the officer or head of any federal, state or local governmental agency or authority may file written objections to the proposed initial or revised application for a permit for surface coal mining and reclamation operations with the director within thirty days after the last publication of the notice as provided in Subsection A of this section. Such objections shall immediately be transmitted to the applicant by the director and shall be made available to the public. If written objections are filed and an informal conference requested by the objector within the thirty-day period, the director shall then designate a hearing officer who shall preside at an informal conference in the locality of the proposed mining within a reasonable time after the receipt of such objections and request. The informal conference shall also be held if requested at any time by the applicant, or upon the director’s own motion. The date, time and location of the informal conference shall be advertised by the director in a newspaper of general circulation in the locality at least two weeks prior to the scheduled conference date. The hearing officer may arrange with the applicant, upon request by any party to the administrative proceeding, access to the proposed mining area for the purpose of gathering information relevant to the proceeding. An electronic or stenographic record shall be made of the conference proceeding, unless waived by all parties. Such record shall be maintained and shall be accessible to the parties until final release of the applicant’s performance bond. In the event all parties requesting the informal conference stipulate agreement prior to the requested informal conference and withdraw their request, the informal conference need not be held.