(a) Every lead agency shall adopt ordinances in accordance with state policy that establish procedures for the review and approval of reclamation plans and financial assurances and the issuance of a permit to conduct surface mining operations, except that any lead agency without an active surface mining operation in its jurisdiction may defer adopting an implementing ordinance until the filing of a permit application. The ordinances shall establish procedures requiring at least one public hearing and shall be periodically reviewed by the lead agency and revised, as necessary, to ensure that the ordinances continue to be in accordance with state policy.
(b) (1) The lead agency shall cause surface mining operations to be inspected in intervals of no more than 12 months, solely to determine whether the surface mining operation is in compliance with this chapter. The lead agency shall cause an inspection to be conducted by a state-licensed geologist, state-licensed civil engineer, state-licensed landscape architect, state-licensed forester, or a qualified lead agency employee who has not been employed by the surface mining operation being inspected in any capacity during the previous 12 months, except that a qualified lead agency employee may inspect surface mining operations conducted by the local agency. All inspections shall be conducted using a form developed by the Division of Mine Reclamation and approved by the board that includes the professional licensing and disciplinary information of the person who conducted the inspection. The operator shall be solely responsible for the reasonable cost of the inspection. The lead agency shall provide a notice of completion of inspection to the supervisor within 90 days of conducting the inspection. The notice shall contain a statement regarding the surface mining operation’s compliance with this chapter and a copy of the completed inspection form, and shall specify, as applicable, all of the following:
(A) Aspects of the surface mining operation, if any, that were found to be inconsistent with this chapter but were corrected before the submission of the inspection form to the supervisor.
(B) Aspects of the surface mining operation, if any, that were found to be inconsistent with this chapter but were not corrected before the submission of the inspection form to the supervisor.
(C) A statement describing the lead agency’s intended response to any aspects of the surface mining operation found to be inconsistent with this chapter but were not corrected before the submission of the inspection form to the supervisor.
(D) A statement as to whether the surface mining operation is out of compliance with an order to comply or stipulated order to comply issued by the lead agency.
(2) If the surface mining operation has a review of its reclamation plan, financial assurances, or an interim management plan pending under subdivision (b) or (h) of Section 2770, or an appeal pending before the board or lead agency governing body under subdivision (e) or (h) of Section 2770, the notice shall so indicate. The lead agency shall forward to the operator a copy of the notice, a copy of the completed inspection form, and any supporting documentation, including, but not limited to, any inspection report prepared by the geologist, civil engineer, landscape architect, forester, or qualified lead agency employee who conducted the inspection.
(c) If an operator does not request an inspection date on the annual report filed pursuant to Section 2207 or if the lead agency is unable to cause the inspection of a given surface mining operation on the date requested by the operator, the lead agency shall provide the operator with a minimum of five days’ written notice of a pending inspection or a lesser time period if agreed to by the operator.
(d) (1) No later than December 31, 2017, the Division of Mine Reclamation shall establish a training program for all surface mine inspectors. The program shall be designed to include a guidance document, developed by the Division of Mine Reclamation, in consultation with the board and stakeholders, to provide instruction and recommendations to surface mine inspectors performing inspections pursuant to subdivision (b).
(2) The training program shall include inspection workshops offered by the Division of Mine Reclamation in different regions of the state to provide practical application of the guidance document material.
(3) On and after July 1, 2020, all inspectors shall have on file with the lead agency and the Division of Mine Reclamation a certificate of completion of an inspection workshop. An inspector shall attend a workshop no later than five years after the date of his or her most recent certificate.
(4) The adoption of the guidance document by the Division of Mine Reclamation pursuant to this subdivision shall be subject to the requirements of the Administrative Procedure Act (Chapter 3.5 (commencing with Section 11340) of Part 1 of Division 3 of Title 2 of the Government Code).
(Amended (as amended by Stats. 2018, Ch. 51, Sec. 16) by Stats. 2018, Ch. 349, Sec. 3. (AB 3257) Effective January 1, 2019.)