(a) The Director shall ensure that performance standards and design requirements at least as stringent as the standards of this subchapter are implemented and enforced under every regulatory program.

(b) The State regulatory authority shall ensure that performance standards and design requirements at least as stringent as the standards in this subchapter are implemented and enforced under every State program.

(c) Each person conducting coal exploration or surface coal mining and reclamation operations is responsible for complying with performance standards and design requirements which are at least as stringent as the standards in this subchapter and the applicable regulatory program.