(1) The department and any person contemplating opening a surface coal mining operation in this state may, at their discretion, enter into one or more site-specific agreements to identify and coordinate local, state, and federal government jurisdiction and review of land use planning, environmental analysis, and socioeconomic evaluation, to establish coordinating procedures for required action, and to ensure that such procedures be undertaken in a timely, sequential manner.
Any such agreements shall be consistent with the provisions of this article.
(2) Such site-specific agreements may include:
The schedule for completion of data collection required for environmental, technical,and policy review; and
The schedule for completion of evaluation, review, and comments by all parties.
(3) Such agreements may list all applicable laws, regulations, and ordinances of this state and its agencies, the federal government and its agencies, and of the county or counties in which the proposed operation will be situated. The department may, with the advice and concurrence of the board, develop rules and regulations to ensure relative uniformity in such agreements.
Source: L. 79: Entire article added, p. 1301, § 1, effective July 1.