Terms Used In Tennessee Code > Title 59 > Chapter 8 - Strip and Open Pit Mines

• Agriculture: means :
  (i) The land, buildings and machinery used in the commercial production of farm products and nursery stock. See Tennessee Code 1-3-105
• Alluvial valley floors: means the unconsolidated stream laid deposits holding streams where water availability is sufficient for subirrigation or flood irrigation agricultural activities but does not include upland areas that are generally overlain by a thin veneer of colluvial deposits composed chiefly of debris from sheet erosion, deposits by unconcentrated runoff or slope wash, together with talus, other mass movement accumulation, and windblown deposits. See Tennessee Code 59-8-102
• Answer: The formal written statement by a defendant responding to a civil complaint and setting forth the grounds for defense.
• Appeal: A request made after a trial, asking another court (usually the court of appeals) to decide whether the trial was conducted properly. To make such a request is "to appeal" or "to take an appeal." One who appeals is called the appellant.
• Appellate: About appeals; an appellate court has the power to review the judgement of another lower court or tribunal.
• applicant: means a person applying for a permit. See Tennessee Code 59-8-102
• Appraisal: A determination of property value.
• Approximate original contour: means that surface configuration achieved by backfilling and grading of the mined area so that the reclaimed area, including any terracing or access roads, closely resembles the general surface configuration of the land prior to mining, and blends into and complements the drainage pattern of the surrounding terrain, with all highwalls and spoil piles eliminated. See Tennessee Code 59-8-102
• Area affected: means the area of land from which overburden is to be or has been removed and upon which a spoil bank is to be or has been deposited. See Tennessee Code 59-8-202
• Bench: means the ledge, shelf or terrace formed in the contour method of surface mining. See Tennessee Code 59-8-202
• Board: means the Tennessee board of water quality, oil, and gas, established by §. See Tennessee Code 59-8-202
• Child: means an individual, whether over or under the age of majority, who is or is alleged to be owed a duty of support by the individual's parent or who is or is alleged to be the beneficiary of a support order directed to the parent. See Tennessee Code 36-5-2101
• Commissioner: means the commissioner of environment and conservation or the commissioner's designee. See Tennessee Code 59-8-102
• Commissioner: means the commissioner of environment and conservation or the commissioner's designees. See Tennessee Code 59-8-202
• Commissioner: means the commissioner of environment and conservation, the commissioner of environment and conservation's duly authorized representatives, and in the event of absence or a vacancy in the office of commissioner, the deputy commissioner. See Tennessee Code 59-8-304
• Common law: The legal system that originated in England and is now in use in the United States. It is based on judicial decisions rather than legislative action.
• Complaint: A written statement by the plaintiff stating the wrongs allegedly committed by the defendant.
• Continuance: Putting off of a hearing ot trial until a later time.
• Contract: A legal written agreement that becomes binding when signed.
• Conviction: A judgement of guilt against a criminal defendant.
• Damages: Money paid by defendants to successful plaintiffs in civil cases to compensate the plaintiffs for their injuries.
• Department: means the department of environment and conservation. See Tennessee Code 59-8-102
• Department: means the department of environment and conservation. See Tennessee Code 59-8-304
• Deposition: An oral statement made before an officer authorized by law to administer oaths. Such statements are often taken to examine potential witnesses, to obtain discovery, or to be used later in trial.
• Director: means the director of the division of water pollution control. See Tennessee Code 59-8-202
• Entitlement: A Federal program or provision of law that requires payments to any person or unit of government that meets the eligibility criteria established by law. Entitlements constitute a binding obligation on the part of the Federal Government, and eligible recipients have legal recourse if the obligation is not fulfilled. Social Security and veterans' compensation and pensions are examples of entitlement programs.
• Equitable: Pertaining to civil suits in "equity" rather than in "law." In English legal history, the courts of "law" could order the payment of damages and could afford no other remedy. See damages. A separate court of "equity" could order someone to do something or to cease to do something. See, e.g., injunction. In American jurisprudence, the federal courts have both legal and equitable power, but the distinction is still an important one. For example, a trial by jury is normally available in "law" cases but not in "equity" cases. ^{Source: U.S. Courts}
• Escrow: Money given to a third party to be held for payment until certain conditions are met.
• Evidence: Information presented in testimony or in documents that is used to persuade the fact finder (judge or jury) to decide the case for one side or the other.
• Fair Credit Reporting Act: A federal law, established in 1971 and revised in 1997, that gives consumers the right to see their credit records and correct any mistakes. ^{Source: OCC}
• Fair market value: The price at which an asset would change hands in a transaction between a willing, informed buyer and a willing, informed seller.
• Federal lands: means any land, including mineral interests, owned by the United States without regard to how the United States acquired ownership of the land and without regard to the agency having responsibility for management thereof, except Indian land. See Tennessee Code 59-8-102
• Federal program: means a program established by the secretary pursuant to 30 U. See Tennessee Code 59-8-102
• Fill bench: means that portion of the bench which is formed by depositing overburden beyond the cut section. See Tennessee Code 59-8-202
• Highwall: means a slope in excess of thirty-five degrees (35°. See Tennessee Code 59-8-202
• Imminent danger to the health and safety of the public: means the existence of any condition or practice, or any violation of a permit or other requirement of this part in a surface coal mining and reclamation operation, which condition, practice, or violation could reasonably be expected to cause substantial physical harm to persons outside the permit area before the condition, practice, or violation could be abated. See Tennessee Code 59-8-102
• Income: includes earnings or other periodic entitlements to money from any source and any other property subject to withholding for support under the law of this state. See Tennessee Code 36-5-2101
• Indictment: The formal charge issued by a grand jury stating that there is enough evidence that the defendant committed the crime to justify having a trial; it is used primarily for felonies.
• Injunction: An order of the court prohibiting (or compelling) the performance of a specific act to prevent irreparable damage or injury.
• Lands eligible for remining: means those lands that would otherwise be eligible for expenditures under 30 U. See Tennessee Code 59-8-102
• Liabilities: The aggregate of all debts and other legal obligations of a particular person or legal entity.
• Lien: A claim against real or personal property in satisfaction of a debt.
• Litigation: A case, controversy, or lawsuit. Participants (plaintiffs and defendants) in lawsuits are called litigants.
• Locality: means the county where all or the majority of a surface coal mining and reclamation operation is located. See Tennessee Code 59-8-102
• Mineral: means , in any county having a population of more than six hundred thousand (600,000), according to the 1970 federal census or any subsequent federal census, clay, stone, gravel, sand, phosphate rock, metallic ore and any other solid material or substance of commercial value found in natural deposits on or in the earth, but does not include limestone, coal, marble, chert or dimension stone. See Tennessee Code 59-8-202
• Minor: means any person who has not attained eighteen (18) years of age. See Tennessee Code 1-3-105
• Obligation: An order placed, contract awarded, service received, or similar transaction during a given period that will require payments during the same or a future period.
• Obligor: means an individual, or the estate of a decedent that:
  (A) Owes or is alleged to owe a duty of support. See Tennessee Code 36-5-2101
• Office: means the office of surface mining reclamation and enforcement, established by the Surface Mining Control and Reclamation Act of 1977 (30 U. See Tennessee Code 59-8-102
• 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
• Operator: means any person, partnership, or corporation engaged in coal mining who removes or intends to remove more than two hundred fifty (250) tons of coal from the earth by coal mining within twelve (12) consecutive months in any one (1) location. See Tennessee Code 59-8-102
• Other minerals: means clay, stone, sand, gravel, metalliferous and nonmetalliferous ores, and any other solid material or substances of commercial value excavated in solid form from natural deposits on or in the earth, exclusive of coal and those minerals that occur naturally in liquid or gaseous form. See Tennessee Code 59-8-102
• Overburden: means all earth and other materials which are removed to gain access to the mineral in the process of surface mining. See Tennessee Code 59-8-202
• Oversight: Committee review of the activities of a Federal agency or program.
• Partnership: A voluntary contract between two or more persons to pool some or all of their assets into a business, with the agreement that there will be a proportional sharing of profits and losses.
• Permit: means a permit to conduct surface coal mining and reclamation operations issued by the commissioner. See Tennessee Code 59-8-102
• Permit area: means the area of land indicated on the approved map submitted by the operator with the operator's application, which area of land is covered by the operator's bond as required by §. See Tennessee Code 59-8-102
• Permittee: means a person holding, or required by this part or rules promulgated by the commissioner to hold, a permit. See Tennessee Code 59-8-102
• Person: means an individual, partnership, corporation or any other association of individuals. See Tennessee Code 59-8-202
• Person: means an individual, partnership, association, society, governmental agency or entity, joint stock company, firm, company, corporation, or other business organization. See Tennessee Code 59-8-102
• Plaintiff: The person who files the complaint in a civil lawsuit.
• Probable cause: A reasonable ground for belief that the offender violated a specific law.
• Prosecute: To charge someone with a crime. A prosecutor tries a criminal case on behalf of the government.
• 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
• Reclamation: means the process of backfilling, grading and shaping of the disturbed land in the affected area, constructing water control facilities, the taking of measures to control current or future air, water or soil pollution, and the planting of vegetation, and other measures. See Tennessee Code 59-8-202
• Reclamation plan: means a plan submitted by an applicant for a permit under §. See Tennessee Code 59-8-102
• Record: means information that is inscribed on a tangible medium or that is stored in an electronic or other medium and is retrievable in perceivable form. See Tennessee Code 36-5-2101
• Remainder: An interest in property that takes effect in the future at a specified time or after the occurrence of some event, such as the death of a life tenant.
• Remand: When an appellate court sends a case back to a lower court for further proceedings.
• Reporter: Makes a record of court proceedings and prepares a transcript, and also publishes the court's opinions or decisions (in the courts of appeals).
• Representative: when applied to those who represent a decedent, includes executors and administrators, unless the context implies heirs and distributees. See Tennessee Code 1-3-105
• Road: includes public bridges and may be held equivalent to the words "county way" "county road" or "state road". See Tennessee Code 1-3-105
• Secretary: means the secretary of the interior. See Tennessee Code 59-8-102
• Shaping: means grading, backfilling and other earth moving required by this part to be done by the operator in connection with the reclamation of the area affected. See Tennessee Code 59-8-202
• Spoil bank: means the overburden as it is piled or deposited in the process of surface mining. See Tennessee Code 59-8-202
• State: means a state of the United States, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, the United States Virgin Islands, or any territory or insular possession under the jurisdiction of the United States. See Tennessee Code 36-5-2101
• Statute: A law passed by a legislature.
• Stream: means any waterway that normally exhibits water flow at least six (6) consecutive months per year. See Tennessee Code 59-8-202
• Subpoena: A command to a witness to appear and give testimony.
• Surface coal mining and reclamation operations: means surface coal mining operations and all activities necessary and incident to the reclamation of surface coal mining operations occurring on and after May 26, 2021. See Tennessee Code 59-8-102
• Surface coal mining operations: means :
  (A) Activities conducted on the surface of lands in connection with a surface coal mine or subject to §. See Tennessee Code 59-8-102
• Surface mining: means all or any part of the process followed in the production of minerals from a natural mineral deposit by the open pit or open cut method, auger method, highwall mining method which requires a new cut or removal of overburden, or any other mining process in which the strata or overburden is removed or displaced in order to recover the mineral. See Tennessee Code 59-8-202
• Temporary restraining order: Prohibits a person from an action that is likely to cause irreparable harm. This differs from an injunction in that it may be granted immediately, without notice to the opposing party, and without a hearing. It is intended to last only until a hearing can be held.
• Testify: Answer questions in court.
• Transcript: A written, word-for-word record of what was said, either in a proceeding such as a trial or during some other conversation, as in a transcript of a hearing or oral deposition.
• United States: includes the District of Columbia and the several territories of the United States. See Tennessee Code 1-3-105
• Venue: The geographical location in which a case is tried.
• willfully: means that a person acted:
  (A) Intentionally, voluntarily, or consciously. See Tennessee Code 59-8-102