(a) For purposes of this section, the following definitions apply:

(1) “Metropolitan Water District” means the Metropolitan Water District of Southern California.

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(2) “Metropolitan Reclamation Plan” means a master reclamation plan that may be approved pursuant to this section for all surface mining operations conducted by the Metropolitan Water District within the Counties of Los Angeles, Orange, Riverside, San Bernardino, San Diego, or Ventura. The master reclamation plan shall identify each individual surface mining operation and satisfy all reclamation plan requirements for each individual surface mining site.

(b) Unless otherwise provided in this section, the requirements of this chapter, Section 2207, and Chapter 8 (commencing with Section 3500) of Division 2 of Title 14 of the California Code of Regulations shall apply to surface mining operations conducted by the Metropolitan Water District within the Counties of Los Angeles, Orange, Riverside, San Bernardino, San Diego, and Ventura.

(c) The board shall act as the lead agency pursuant to this chapter and Section 2207 for surface mining operations conducted by the Metropolitan Water District.

(d) In addition to any other requirements in statute or regulation, the Metropolitan Reclamation Plan shall include both of the following:

(1) A map that identifies the location of each individual surface mining operation conducted on lands Metropolitan Water District owns or leases, or upon which easements or rights-of-way have been granted to the Metropolitan Water District.

(2) Maintenance measures that become effective when any individual surface mining operation is idle or the site has no mineral production. Maintenance measures shall maintain the site in compliance with this chapter while the surface mining operation is idle or the site has no mineral production.

(e) The Metropolitan Reclamation Plan is exempt from the requirements of subdivision (h) of Section 2770, except that financial assurances required by Section 2773.1 shall remain in effect during any idle period.

(f) Notwithstanding subdivision (b) of Section 2774, the board may conduct an inspection of an individual surface mining operation once every two calendar years during a period when that individual surface mining operation is idle or the site has no mineral production.

(g) (1) In the annual report required pursuant to Section 2207, the Metropolitan Water District shall provide a separate subreport for each individual surface mining operation that provides the information and documentation required in that section.

(2) The Metropolitan Water District shall pay an annual reporting fee pursuant to subdivision (d) of Section 2207.

(3) The board, in its role as the lead agency, may collect reasonable inspection costs pursuant to subdivision (f) of this section, and paragraph (1) of subdivision (b) of Section 2774 and, excluding Section 3696.5 of Title 14 of the California Code of Regulations, may impose an administration fee pursuant to subdivision (e) of Section 2207 in an amount not to exceed the board’s reasonable costs in carrying out this chapter.

(h) Notwithstanding any other law, the Metropolitan Water District shall not be required to secure approval of a reclamation plan from any city or county or obtain a use permit from any city or county under this chapter to conduct the operations under the approved Metropolitan Reclamation Plan.

(i) The Metropolitan Water District shall not sell or allow any materials produced by its surface mining operations from lands it owns, leases, or upon which easements or rights-of-way have been granted to be sold or used for the benefit of any other person.

(j) For purposes of the California Environmental Quality Act (Division 13 (commencing with Section 21000)), the Metropolitan Water District shall be the lead agency for any environmental review of the Metropolitan Reclamation Plan.

(k) This section shall remain in effect only until January 1, 2026, and as of that date is repealed.

(Added by Stats. 2021, Ch. 166, Sec. 2. (AB 442) Effective January 1, 2022. Repealed as of January 1, 2026, by its own provisions.)