In this chapter,
(1) “department” means the Department of Natural Resources;
(2) “mining operation” includes all parts of a mine or mineral exploration project in the state and any mining or treatment plant or equipment connected with it, underground or on the surface, that contributes or may contribute to the mining or treatment of ore or other metalliferous or nonmetalliferous mineral product; the term also includes a site of tunneling, shaft-sinking, quarrying, or excavation of rock for other purposes, including but not limited to the construction of water or highway tunnels or drains or of underground sites for the housing of industrial plants or other facilities.