Tennessee Code 59-8-226 – Sanctions applicable only to mines in violation
Terms Used In Tennessee Code 59-8-226
- Commissioner: means the commissioner of environment and conservation or the commissioner's designees. See Tennessee Code 59-8-202
- Operation: means all of the premises, facilities, and equipment and the use thereof in the process of removing and exploring for minerals from a designated surface mine area. See Tennessee Code 59-8-202
- Operator: means any person, partnership or corporation engaged in surface mining who removes or intends to remove more than two hundred fifty (250) tons of any mineral from the earth by surface mining within twelve (12) successive calendar months. See Tennessee Code 59-8-202
- Provisions of this part: means the rules, regulations and orders issued by the commissioner pursuant to this part as well as the words of the sections themselves. See Tennessee Code 59-8-202
It is the intent of this part, and it is so understood that the commissioner is empowered under all the provisions of this part to suspend or revoke a mining permit or fail to grant a mining permit only to the extent of the one (1) or more mines that, in the opinion of the commissioner, violate or violates the provisions of such sections, and the commissioner is not empowered to shut down, suspend a mining permit, or fail to grant a mining permit on the other mines or prospective mines of the operator that are in compliance with the provisions of this part. In no event is the commissioner empowered to shut down any of the operations of an operator except the actual operation of the mine or mines, that, in the commissioner’s opinion, violate the provisions of this part.