This part shall not apply to surface mining activities of the Department of Transportation incident to its activities in constructing, repairing, and maintaining the public road system in Georgia. The provisions of this Code section shall also extend to any person, firm, or corporation contracting with the Department of Transportation to construct, repair, or maintain public roads, provided that such contracts contain standards for the reclamation of the affected surface mining area; provided, further, that such standards have been approved by the division.
(Ga. L. 1968, p. 9, § 12.)
OPINIONS OF THE ATTORNEY GENERAL
Exemption granted by this section extends only to those operators who contract directly with the State Highway Department (now Department of Transportation) and not to parties who are subcontractors of such operators. 1968 Op. Att'y Gen. No. 68-406 (see O.C.G.A. § 12-4-82).