R645-400-100. General Information on Authority and Procedures

110. Right of Entry.

111. Within the State of Utah, Division representatives may enter upon and through any coal exploration or coal mining and reclamation operation without advance notice upon presentation of appropriate credentials. No search warrant will be required, except that the State may provide for its use with respect to entry into a building.

112. Division representatives may inspect any monitoring equipment or method of exploration or operation and have access to and may copy any records required under the approved State Program. Division representatives may exercise these rights at reasonable times, without advance notice, upon presentation of appropriate credentials. No search warrant will be required, except that the State may provide for its use with respect to entry into a building.

120. Enforcement Authority. Nothing in the Federal Act or the State Program will be construed as eliminating any additional enforcement rights or procedures which are available under State law to the Division, but which are not specifically enumerated in Sections 40-10-20 and 40-10-22 of the Act.

130. Inspection Program.

131. The Division will conduct an average of at least one partial inspection per month of each active coal mining and reclamation operation under its jurisdiction, and will conduct a partial inspection of each inactive coal mining and reclamation operation under its jurisdiction as are necessary to ensure effective enforcement of the State Program. A partial inspection is an on-site or aerial review of a person's compliance with some of the permit conditions and requirements imposed under the State Program.

132. The Division will conduct an average of at least one complete inspection per calendar quarter of each active or inactive coal mining and reclamation operation under its jurisdiction. A complete inspection is an on-site review of a person's compliance with all permit conditions and requirements imposed under the State Program, within the entire area disturbed or affected by the coal mining and reclamation operation. Abandoned sites may be inspected on a frequency as determined by the procedures set out in the definition of "abandoned sites" which is found in R645-100-200.

133. The Division will conduct inspections of coal explorations as are necessary to ensure compliance with the State Program.

134. Aerial Inspection.

134.100. Aerial inspections will be conducted in a manner which reasonably ensures the identification and documentation of conditions at each coal mining and reclamation operation inspected.

134.200. Any potential violation observed during an aerial inspection will be investigated on-site within three (3) days: provided, that any indication of a condition, practice or violation constituting cause for the issuance of a cessation order under section 40-10-22(1)(b) of the Act will be investigated on site immediately, and provided further, that an on-site investigation of a potential violation observed during an aerial inspection will not be considered to be an additional partial or complete inspection for the purposes of R645-400-131 and R645-400-132.

135. The inspections required under R645-400-131 through R645-400-134 will:

135.100. Be carried out on an irregular basis, so as to monitor compliance at all operations, including those which operate nights, weekends, or holidays;

135.200. Occur without prior notice to the permittee or any agent or employee of such permittee, except for necessary on-site meetings; and

135.300. Include the prompt filing of inspection reports adequate to enforce the requirements of the approved State Program.

136. For the purposes of R645-400 an inactive coal mining and reclamation operation is one for which:

136.100. The Division has secured from the permittee the written notice provided for under R645-301-515.320; or

136.200. Reclamation Phase II as defined at R645-301-880.320 has been completed and the liability of the permittee has been reduced by the Division in accordance with the State Program.

140. Availability of Records.

141. The Division will make available to the Director of the Office, upon request, copies of all documents relating to applications for and approvals of existing, new, or revised coal exploration approvals or coal mining and reclamation operations permits and all documents relating to inspection and enforcement actions.

142. Copies of all records, reports, inspection materials, or information obtained by the Division will be made immediately available to the public in the area of mining until at least five years after expiration of the period during which the subject operation is active or is covered by any portion of a reclamation bond so that they are conveniently available to residents of that area, except:

142.100. As otherwise provided by federal law; and

142.200. For information not required to be made available under R645-203, R645-300-124 or R645-400-144.

143. The Division will ensure compliance with R645-400-142 by either:

143.100. Making copies of all records, reports, inspection materials, and other subject information available for public inspection at a federal, Utah or local government office in the county where the mining is occurring or proposed to occur; or

143.200. At the Division's option and expense, providing copies of subject information promptly by mail at the request of any resident of the area where the mining is occurring or is proposed to occur. Provided, that the Division will maintain for public inspection, at a federal, Utah or local government office in the county where the mining is occurring or proposed to occur, a description of the information available for mailing and the procedure for obtaining such information.

144. In order to protect preparation for hearings and enforcement proceedings, the Director of the Office and the Division may enter into agreements regarding procedures for the special handling of investigative and enforcement reports and other such materials.

150. Public Participation. The State Program provides for public participation in the enforcement of the State Program in R645-400-200, R645-400-300, R645-401, and the Board's Procedural Rules.

160. Compliance Conference.

161. Compliance conferences between a permittee and an authorized representative of the Division are provided for and described in R645-400-162 through R645-400-165.

162. A permittee may request an on-site compliance conference with an authorized representative of the Division to review the compliance status of any condition or practice proposed at any coal exploration or coal mining and reclamation operation. Any such conference will not constitute an inspection within the meaning of UCA 40-10-19 and R645-400-130, or any applicable permit or exploration approval.

163. The Division may accept or refuse any request to conduct a compliance conference under R645-400-162.

164. The authorized representative at any compliance conference will review such proposed conditions and practices in order to advise whether any such condition or practice may become a violation of any requirement of the Act, the approved State Program or any applicable permit or exploration approval.

165. Neither the holding of a compliance conference under this section nor any opinion given by the authorized representative at such a conference will affect:

165.100. Any rights or obligations of the Division or of the permittee with respect to any inspection, notice of violation or cessation order, whether prior or subsequent to such compliance conference; or

165.200. The validity of any notice of violation or cessation order issued with respect to any condition or practice reviewed at the compliance conference.