Page:United States Statutes at Large Volume 91.djvu/506

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PUBLIC LAW 95-000—MMMM. DD, 1977

91 STAT. 472

Post, p. 507.

Post, p. 504. Notice and hearing. Permits, review.

X'Ct'::}.,

Hearing.

State statutes or regulations, preemption.

PUBLIC LAW 9 5 - 8 7 — A U G. 3, 1977 regulatory authority. If a Federal program is implemented for a State, section 522(a), (c), and (d) shall not apply for a period of one year following the date of such implementation. I n promulgating and implementing a Federal program for a particular State the Secretary shall take into consideration the nature of that State's terrain, climate, biological, chemical, and other relevant physical conditions. (b) I n the event that a State has a State program for surface coal mining, and is not enforcing any part of such program, the Secretary may provide for the Federal enforcement, under the provisions of section 521, of that part of the State program not being enforced by such State. (c) P r i o r to promulgation and implementation of any proposed Federal program, the Secretary shall give adequate public notice and hold a public hearing in the affected State. (d) Permits issued pursuant to a previously approved State program shall be valid but reviewable under a Federal program. Immediately following promulgation of a Federal program, the Secretary shall undertake to review such permits to determine that the requirements of this Act are not violated. I f the Secretary determines any permit to have been granted contrary to the requirements of this Act, he shall so advise the permittee and provide him an opportunity for hearing and a reasonable opportunity for submission of a new application and reasonable time, within a time limit prescribed in regulations promulgated pursuant to section 501(b), to conform ongoing surface mining and reclamation operations to the requirements of the Federal program. (e) A State which has failed to obtain the approval of a State program prior to implementation of a Federal program may submit a State program at any time after such implementation. Upon the submission of such a program, the Secretary shall follow the procedures set forth in section 503(b) and shall approve or disapprove the State program within six months after its submittal. Approval of a State program shall be based on the determination that the State has the capability of carrying out the provisions of this Act and meeting its purposes through the criteria set forth in section 503(a)(1) through (6). Until a State program is approved as provided under this section, the Federal program shall remain in effect and all actions taken by the Secretary pursuant to such Federal program, including the terms and conditions of any permit issued thereunder shall remain in effect. (f) Permits issued pursuant to the Federal program shall be valid under any superseding State program: Provided, That the Federal permittee shall have the right to apply for a State permit to supersede his Federal permit. The State regulatory authority may review such permits to determine that the requirements of this Act and the approved State program are not violated. Should the State program contain additional requirements not contained in the Federal program, the permittee will be provided opportunity for hearing and a reasonable time, within a time limit prescribed in regulations promulgated pursuant to section 501, to conform ongoing surface mining and reclamation operations to the additional State requirements. (g) Whenever a Federal program is promulgated for a State pursuant to this Act, any statutes or regulations of such State which are in effect to regulate surface mining and reclamation operations subject to this Act shall, insofar as they interfere with the achievement of the purposes and the requirements of this Act and the Federal program, be preempted and superseded by the Federal program. The Secretary shall set forth any State law or regulation which is preempted and superseded by the Federal program.