Whats in a Coal Mining Permit?
There are three main parts of a surface coal mining permit application: Legal, Financial, Compliance and Related Information An applicant must provide information on who owns the mining company and will conduct mining. Included is a detailed description of the corporation, affiliated corporations and the parent corporation. The Office of Surface Mining, U.S. Department of the Interior, and established the Applicator Violation System that uses this information to identify “bad actors” and prohibit them from operating a coal mine anywhere in the U.S. This part of the permit also identifies all landowners of surface or mineral estates, any other permits and licenses that may be needed (NPDES, MSHA etc.) and documentation that the applicant has a right-of-entry or leases to conduct mining. Background on existing Environmental Conditions A permit must contain detailed information about the nature of the environment prior to mining. This includes sections on hydrology, both surface and groun
