82-4-205. Administration by department and board. (1) The department shall adopt, after an opportunity for a hearing, general rules pertaining to strip mining and to underground mining to accomplish the purposes of this part. The department may adopt rules with respect to filing of reports, issuance of permits, monitoring, and other matters of procedure and administration.

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(2)The department:

(a)shall exercise general supervision, administration, and enforcement of this part and all rules and orders adopted under this part;

(b)shall review for approval or disapproval all plans and specifications submitted by an operator for the method of operation, subsidence stabilization, water control, backfilling, grading, highwall reduction, and topsoiling and for the reclamation of the area of land affected by the operator’s operation;

(c)shall issue orders requiring an operator to adopt the remedial measures necessary to comply with this part and rules adopted under this part;

(d)shall order the suspension of any permit for failure to comply with this part or a rule adopted under this part;

(e)shall issue an order revoking a permit when the requirements set forth by a notice of violation, order of suspension, or order requiring remedial measures have not been complied with according to the terms in the notice or order;

(f)shall order the halting of any operation that is started without first having obtained a permit as required by this part or order the cessation of operations not in compliance with this part in accordance with 82-4-251;

(g)shall conduct public hearings required under this part or rules adopted pursuant to this part;

(h)shall conduct investigations and inspections necessary to ensure compliance with this part; and

(i)may encourage and conduct investigations, research, experiments, and demonstrations and collect and disseminate information relating to strip mining and to underground mining and reclamation of lands and waters affected by strip mining and underground mining.

(3)The board shall conduct contested case hearings under this part.