This chapter shall be known as "Surface Mining and Reclamation."
(SCC 1391 § 2, 2008)
Sacramento County recognizes that the extraction of minerals is essential to the continued economic well-being of the County and to the needs of society and that the reclamation of mined lands is necessary to prevent or minimize adverse effects on the environment and to protect the public health and safety. Sacramento County also recognizes that surface mining takes place in diverse areas where the geologic, topographic, climatic, biological, and social conditions are significantly different and that reclamation operations and the specifications therefor may vary accordingly.
The purpose and intent of this chapter is to ensure the continued availability of important mineral resources, while regulating surface mining operations as required by California's Surface Mining and Reclamation Act of 1975 (Public Resources Code Section 2710 et seq., as amended, hereinafter referred to as "SMARA"), Public Resources Code ("PRC") Section 2207 (relating to annual reporting requirements), and State Mining and Geology Board regulations for surface mining and reclamation practice (California Code of Regulations, Title 14, Division 2, Chapter 8, Subchapter 1, Section 3500 et seq., hereinafter referred to as "State regulations"), to ensure that:
A.
Adverse environmental effects are prevented or minimized and that mined lands are reclaimed to a usable condition which is readily adaptable for alternative land uses.
B.
The production and conservation of minerals are encouraged, while giving consideration to values relating to recreation, watershed, wildlife, range and forage, and aesthetic enjoyment.
C.
Residual hazards to the public health and safety are eliminated.
(SCC 1391 § 2, 2008)
means the Board of Supervisors of the County of Sacramento.
means the same as a "surface mining operation" as defined in this section provided said surface mining operation was in operation on January 1, 1976.
means a surface mining operation that has been curtailed for one year or more by 90% of the operation's previous maximum annual mineral production with the intent to resume those operations at a future date.
includes the surface, subsurface and groundwater of an area in which surface mining operations will be, are being, or have been conducted, including private ways and roads appurtenant to any such areas in which structures, facilities, equipment, machines, tools or other materials or property which result from, or are used in surface mining operations, are located.
means any person who is engaged in surface mining operations himself, or who contracts with others to conduct operations on his behalf, except a person who is engaged in surface mining operations as an employee with wages as his sole compensation.
means a conditional use permit granted by an appropriate authority pursuant to the Zoning Code of Sacramento County or predecessor zoning ordinances, or a permit issued through the procedures required in an existing special planning area zoning designation.
means any natural person, firm, association, joint venture, joint stock company, partnership, club, company, corporation, business trust, or organization of any kind as well as any city, county, district, or the state or any department or agency thereof.
means the Sacramento County Planning and Community Development Department.
means the combined process of land treatment that minimizes water degradation, air pollution, damage to aquatic or wildlife habitat, flooding, erosion and other adverse effects from surface mining operations, including adverse surface effects incidental to underground mines, so that mined lands are reclaimed to a usable condition which is readily adaptable for alternate land uses and create no danger to public health or safety. The process may extend to affected lands surrounding mined lands, and may require backfilling, grading, resoiling, revegetation, soil compaction stabilization or other measures.
means a surface mining plan submitted pursuant to Section 20.04.060 of this Code.
means all, or any part of, the process involved in the mining of minerals on mined lands by removing overburden and mining directly from the mineral deposits, open-pit mining of minerals naturally exposed, mining by the auger method, dredging and quarrying, borrow pitting, streambed skimming, segregation and stockpiling of mined materials and recovery of the same or surface work incident to an underground mine. Surface mining operations shall include, but are not limited to in-place distillation, retorting or leaching, the production and disposal of mining waste, and prospecting and exploratory activities.
(SCC 1391 § 2, 2008)
The provisions of SMARA, PRC Section 2207, and State regulations as those provisions and regulations may be amended from time to time, are made a part of this chapter by reference with the same force and effect as if the provisions therein were specifically and fully set out herein, excepting that when the provisions of this chapter are more restrictive than correlative State provisions, this chapter shall prevail.
(SCC 1391 § 2, 2008)
Except as provided in this chapter, no person shall conduct surface mining operations unless a Permit, reclamation plan, and financial assurances for reclamation have first been approved by the County. The procedural and substantive requirements for the required Permit are those set forth in the County's Zoning Code Title II, Chapter 35 Surface Mining, Sections 235-40—235-54, and as set forth in existing special planning areas. The procedural and substantive requirements for the reclamation plan and Financial Assurance are set forth in this chapter. Any applicable exemption from this requirement does not automatically exempt a project or activity from the application of other regulations, ordinances or policies of the County, including but not limited to, the application of the California Environmental Quality Act ("CEQA"), the payment of development impact fees, or the imposition of other dedications and exactions as may be permitted under the law. The provisions of this chapter shall apply to all lands within the County, public and private.
This chapter shall not apply to the following activities, subject to the above-referenced exemptions:
A.
Excavations or grading conducted for farming or for the purpose of restoring land following a flood or natural disaster to its prior condition.
B.
Onsite excavation and onsite earthmoving activities which are an integral and necessary part of a construction project that are undertaken to prepare a site for construction of structures, landscaping, or other land improvements associated with those structures, including the related excavation, grading, compaction, or the creation of fills, road cuts, and embankments, whether or not surplus materials are exported from the site, subject to all of the following conditions:
1.
All required permits for the construction, landscaping, or related land improvements have been approved by a public agency in accordance with applicable provisions of state law and locally adopted plans and ordinances, including, but not limited to, CEQA.
2.
The County's approval of the construction project included consideration of the onsite excavation and onsite earthmoving activities pursuant to CEQA.
3.
The approved construction project is consistent with the County General Plan and zoning of the site.
4.
Surplus materials shall not be exported from the site unless and until actual construction work has commenced and shall cease if it is determined that construction activities have terminated, have been indefinitely suspended, or are no longer being actively pursued.
C.
Operation of a plant site used for mineral processing, including associated onsite structures, equipment, machines, tools, or other materials, including the onsite stockpiling and onsite recovery of mined materials, subject to all of the following conditions:
1.
The plant site is located on lands designated for industrial or commercial uses in the County's General Plan.
2.
The plant site is located on lands zoned industrial or commercial, or are contained within a zoning category intended exclusively for industrial activities by the County.
3.
None of the minerals being processed is being extracted onsite.
4.
All reclamation work has been completed pursuant to the approved reclamation plan for any mineral extraction activities that occurred onsite after January 1, 1976.
D.
Prospecting for, or the extraction of, minerals for commercial purposes and the removal of overburden or mineral product totals less than 1,000 cubic yards in any one location, and the total surface area disturbed is less than one acre.
E.
Surface mining operations that are required by federal law in order to protect a mining claim, if those operations are conducted solely for that purpose.
F.
Any other surface mining operations that the State Mining and Geology Board determines to be of an infrequent nature and which involve only minor surface disturbances.
G.
The solar evaporation of sea water or bay water for the production of salt and related minerals.
H.
Emergency excavations or grading conducted by the Department of Water Resources or the Reclamation Board for the purpose of averting, alleviating, repairing, or restoring damage to property due to imminent or recent floods, disasters, or other emergencies.
I.
Road construction and maintenance for timber or forest operations if the land is owned by the same person or entity, and if the excavation is conducted adjacent to timber or forest operation roads. This exemption is only available if slope stability and erosion are controlled in accordance with Board regulations and, upon closure of the site, the person closing the site implements, where necessary, revegetation measures and post-closure uses in consultation with the Department of Forestry and Fire Protection. This exemption does not apply to onsite excavation or grading that occurs within 100 feet of a Class One watercourse or 75 feet of a Class Two watercourse, or to excavations for materials that are, or have been, sold for commercial purposes.
J.
Excavations, grading, or other earthmoving activities in an oil or gas field that are integral to, and necessary for, ongoing operations for the extraction of oil or gas that comply with all of the following conditions:
1.
The operations are being conducted in accordance with PRC Sections 3000 et seq.;
2.
The operations are consistent with the County's General Plan and zoning applicable to the site;
3.
The earthmoving activities are within oil or gas field properties under a common owner or operator; and
4.
No excavated materials are sold for commercial purposes.
(SCC 1391 § 2, 2008)
A.
No person who obtained a vested right to conduct surface mining operations prior to January 1, 1976, shall be required to secure a permit to mine, so long as the vested right continues and as long as no substantial changes have been made in the operation except in accordance with SMARA. A person shall be deemed to have vested rights if, prior to January 1, 1976, he or she has, in good faith and in reliance upon a permit or other authorization, if the permit or other authorization was required, diligently commenced surface mining operations and incurred substantial liabilities for work and materials necessary therefor. Expenses incurred in obtaining the enactment of an ordinance in relation to a particular operation or the issuance of a permit shall not be deemed liabilities for work or materials.
B.
The reclamation plan required to be filed under subdivision (b) of PRC Section 2770, shall apply to operations conducted after January 1, 1976 or to be conducted.
C.
Nothing in this chapter shall be construed as requiring the filing of a reclamation plan for, or the reclamation of, mined land on which surface mining operations were conducted prior to January 1, 1976.
(SCC 1391 § 2, 2008)
A.
The reclamation plan application shall be filed by the operator with the Planning Department in a form acceptable to the Planning Department.
B.
The reclamation plan shall be applicable to a specific piece of property or properties, shall be based upon the character of the surrounding area and such characteristics of the property as type of overburden, soil stability, topography, geology, climate, stream characteristics, and principal mineral commodities, shall establish site-specific criteria for evaluating compliance with the approved reclamation plan, including topography, revegetation and sediment, and erosion control, and shall include the following information:
1.
The name and address of the surface mining operator and the names and addresses of any persons designated by the operator as an agent for the service of process.
2.
The anticipated quantity and type of minerals for which the surface mining operation is to be conducted.
3.
The proposed dates for the initiation and termination of surface mining operation.
4.
The maximum anticipated depth of the surface mining operation.
5.
The size and legal description of the lands that will be affected by the surface mining operation, a map that includes the boundaries and topographic details of the lands, a description of the general geology of the area, a detailed description of the geology of the area in which surface mining is to be conducted, the location of all streams, roads, railroads, and utility facilities within, or adjacent to, the lands, the location of all proposed access roads to be constructed in conducting the surface mining operation, and the names and addresses of the owners of all surface interests and mineral interests in the lands.
6.
The mined area subject to SMARA requirements, including:
a.
A description of, and a plan for, the type of surface mining to be employed;
b.
A description of the nature and sequence of reclamation activities including such items as: landscaping, erosion control, seeding, fill of low pit areas, shaping of pit floors, management of mined and unminable deposits, original, interim and final rough slopes and grades; and
c.
An anticipated time schedule that will provide for the completion of surface mining on each segment of the mined lands so that reclamation can be initiated at the earliest possible time on those portions of the mined lands that will not be subject to further disturbance by the surface mining operation.
7.
A demonstration of the fate of overburden following removal disposal, sale, storage for future use. If onsite storage is proposed, identify anticipated location and dimension aerial extent and average depth of the material.
8.
A description of the identified source and nature of fill, if any, required for reclamation.
9.
A description of the manner in which reclamation, adequate for the proposed use or potential uses will be accomplished, including both of the following:
10.
An assessment of the effect of implementation of the reclamation plan will have upon the site's remaining unmined resources and future mining in the area.
11.
A description of the proposed use or potential uses of the mined lands after reclamation and evidence that all owners of a possessory interest in the land have been notified of the proposed use or potential uses.
12.
A discussion of the public health and safety, giving consideration to the degree and type of present and probable future exposure of the public to the site.
C.
An item of information or a document required pursuant to subdivision (B) that has already been prepared as part of a permit application for the surface mining operation, or as part of an environmental document prepared for the project pursuant to CEQA, may be included in the reclamation plan by reference, if that item of information or that document is attached to the reclamation plan when the lead agency submits the reclamation plan to the Director for review. To the extent that the information or document referenced in the reclamation plan is used to meet the requirements of subdivision (B), the information or document shall become part of the reclamation plan and shall be subject to all other requirements of this article.
D.
All reclamation plan applications shall contain the information requested by and adhere to the standards provided in SMARA Sections 2772 and 2773 and any regulations promulgated pursuant thereto including the performance standards contained in Article 9 (Sections 3700-3713) of the State regulations.
E.
The County may impose additional performance standards as developed either in review of individual projects, as warranted, or through the formulation and adoption of countywide performance standards.
(SCC 1391 § 2, 2008)
Reclamation plan amendments that substantially deviate from the approved plan shall be processed according to the procedure set out in Section 20.04.090 of this Code. A reclamation plan amendment, determined by the Planning Department to be a non-substantial deviation from the approved reclamation plan, shall be accepted and approved by the Planning Department.
(SCC 1391 § 2, 2008)
A.
To ensure that reclamation will proceed in accordance with the approved reclamation plan, the County shall require as a condition of approval security which will be released upon satisfactory performance. The Planning Director is authorized to release the bond or security on completion of the reclamation plan. Financial assurances shall be made payable to the County of Sacramento and the State Department of Conservation. Generally, the following will satisfy the bond or security requirement:
1.
Certificates of deposit payable to the County issued by banks doing business in this State and insured by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation.
2.
Investment certificates or share accounts assigned to the County and issued by a savings and loan association doing business in this State and insured by the Federal Savings and Loan Insurance Corporation.
3.
Bearer bonds issued by the United States government or by this State.
4.
Cash deposited with the County.
5.
Other forms of security acceptable to the County Counsel.
B.
Financial assurances will be required to ensure compliance with elements of the reclamation plan, including but not limited to, revegetation and landscaping requirements, restoration of aquatic or wildlife habitat, restoration of water bodies and water quality, slope stability and erosion and drainage control, disposal of hazardous materials, and other measures, if necessary.
C.
Cost estimates for the financial assurance shall be submitted to the Planning Department for review and approval prior to the operator securing financial assurances. The Planning Department shall forward a copy of the cost estimates, together with any documentation received supporting the amount of the cost estimates, to the State Department of Conservation for review. If the State Department of Conservation does not comment within 45 days of receipt of these estimates, it shall be assumed that the cost estimates are adequate, unless the County has reason to determine that additional costs may be incurred. The Planning Director shall have the discretion to approve the financial assurance if it meets the requirements of this chapter, SMARA, and State regulations.
D.
The amount of the financial assurance shall be based upon the estimated costs of reclamation for the years or phases stipulated in the approved reclamation plan, including any maintenance of reclaimed areas as may be required, subject to adjustment for the actual amount required to reclaim lands disturbed by surface mining activities in the upcoming year. Cost estimates should be prepared by a California registered professional engineer and/or other similarly licensed and qualified professionals retained by the operator and approved by the Planning Director. The estimated amount of the financial assurance shall be based on an analysis of physical activities necessary to implement the approved reclamation plan, the unit costs for each of these activities, the number of units of each of these activities, and the actual administrative costs. Financial assurances to ensure compliance with revegetation, restoration of water bodies, restoration of aquatic or wildlife habitat, and any other applicable element of the approved reclamation plan shall be based upon cost estimates that include but may not be limited to labor, equipment, materials, mobilization of equipment, administration, and reasonable profit by a commercial operator other than the permittee. A contingency factor of 10% shall be added to the cost of financial assurances.
E.
In projecting the costs of financial assurances, it shall be assumed without prejudice or insinuation that the surface mining operation could be abandoned by the operator and, consequently, the County or State Department of Conservation may need to contract with a third party commercial company for reclamation of the site.
F.
The financial assurances shall remain in effect for the duration of the surface mining operation and any additional period until reclamation is completed (including any maintenance required).
G.
The amount of financial assurances required of a surface mining operation for any one year shall be adjusted annually to account for new lands disturbed by surface mining operations, inflation, and reclamation of lands accomplished in accordance with the approved reclamation plan. The financial assurances shall include estimates to cover reclamation for existing conditions and anticipated activities during the upcoming year, excepting that the permittee may not claim credit for reclamation scheduled for completion during the coming year.
H.
Revisions to financial assurances shall be submitted to the Planning Director each year prior to the anniversary date for approval of the financial assurances. The financial assurance shall cover the cost of existing disturbance and anticipated activities for the next calendar year, including any required interim reclamation. If revisions to the financial assurances are not required, the operator shall explain, in writing, why revisions are not required.
(SCC 1391 § 2, 2008)
A.
Reclamation plan applications for surface mining or land reclamation projects shall be made on forms provided by the Planning Department. The forms for reclamation plan applications shall require, at a minimum, each of the elements required by SMARA Sections 2772-2773 and State regulations, and any other requirements deemed necessary to facilitate an expeditious and fair evaluation of the proposed reclamation plan.
B.
All documentation for the reclamation plan shall be submitted to the County at one time. For surface mining operations that are exempt from a use permit, the reclamation plan application shall include information concerning the mining operation that is required for processing the reclamation plan.
C.
Upon completion of the environmental review and the filing of all required documents, the permit and/or reclamation plan for the proposed or existing surface mine shall be scheduled for consideration before the project Planning Commission and the Board of Supervisors, in accordance to the procedures set forth in Title I, Chapter 10, Article 1 and Title II, Chapter 35 of the County Zoning Code, and pursuant to PRC Section 2774.
D.
Within 30 days of acceptance of an application for a permit for surface mining operations and/or a reclamation plan as complete, the Planning Department shall notify the State Department of Conservation of the filing of the application(s). Whenever mining operations are proposed in the 100-year flood plain of any stream, as shown in Zone A of the Flood Insurance Rate Maps issued by the Federal Emergency Management Agency, and within one mile, upstream or downstream, of any state highway bridge, the Planning Department shall also notify the State Department of Transportation that the application has been received.
E.
The Planning Department shall process the application(s) through environmental review pursuant to CEQA and the County's environmental review guidelines.
F.
Subsequent to the appropriate environmental review, the Planning Department shall prepare a staff report with recommendations for consideration by the Project Planning Commission.
G.
The Project Planning Commission shall hold at least one noticed public hearing on the use permit and/or reclamation plan, and shall take formal action to recommend that the permit and/or reclamation plan be approved, conditioned or denied by the Board.
H.
Prior to the Board's final approval of a reclamation plan, financial assurances (as provided in Section 20.04.080 of this Code) or any amendments to the existing financial assurances or the reclamation plan that constitute substantial deviations from the existing reclamation plan (under Section 20.04.070 of this Code), the Board shall certify to the State Department of Conservation that the reclamation plan, financial assurances and/or amendment complies with the applicable requirements of State law. The Planning Department shall submit the reclamation plan, financial assurances and/or amendments to the State Department of Conservation for review pursuant to PRC Section 2774(d). The director of the State Department of Conservation shall have 30 days from the date of receipt of a reclamation plan or plan amendment and 45 days from the date of receipt of financial assurance to prepare written comments, if the Director so chooses. The County shall evaluate any written comments received from the Director relating to the reclamation plan, plan amendments, or financial assurances within a reasonable amount of time.
The County shall prepare a written response to the Director's comments describing the disposition of the major issues raised by the Director's comments, and submit the County's proposed response to the Director at least 30 days prior to approval of the reclamation plan, plan amendment, or financial assurance. The County's response to the Director's comments shall describe whether the County proposes to adopt the Director's comments to the reclamation plan, plan amendment, or financial assurance. If the County does not propose to adopt the Director's comments, the County shall specify, in detail, why it proposes not to adopt the comments. Copies of any written comments received and responses prepared by the County shall be forwarded to the operator. The County shall also give the Director at least 30 days' notice of the time, place, and date of the hearing before the lead agency at which time the reclamation plan, plan amendment, or financial assurance is scheduled to be approved. If no hearing is required by applicable law, then the County shall provide 30 days' notice to the Director that it intends to approve the reclamation plan, plan amendment, or financial assurance. The County shall send to the Director its final written response to the Director's comments within 30 days following its approval of the reclamation plan, plan amendment, or financial assurance during which period the department retains all powers, duties, and authorities under the law.
I.
The Board shall then take action to approve, conditionally approve, or deny the reclamation plan.
J.
The County, upon approval of a reclamation plan or an amendment to a reclamation plan, shall record a "Notice of Reclamation Plan Approval" with the County Recorder. The notice shall read: "Mining operations conducted on the hereinafter described real property are subject to a reclamation plan approved by the County of Sacramento Board of Supervisors, a copy of which is on file with the County Recorder."
(SCC 1391 § 2, 2008)
The person submitting the reclamation plan shall sign a statement accepting responsibility for reclaiming the mined lands in accordance with the reclamation plan. Said statement shall be kept by the Planning Department in the mining operation's permanent record. Upon sale or transfer of the operation, the new operator shall submit a signed statement of responsibility to the Planning Department for placement in the permanent record.
(SCC 1391 § 2, 2008)
Surface mining operators shall forward an annual surface mining report to the State Department of Conservation and to the Planning Department on a date established by the State Department of Conservation, upon forms furnished by the State Mining and Geology Board. New mining operations shall file an initial surface mining report and any applicable filing fees with the State Department of Conservation within 30 days of permit approval, or before commencement of operations, whichever is sooner. Any applicable fees, together with a copy of the annual inspection report, shall be forwarded to the State Department of Conservation at the time of filing the annual surface mining report.
The Planning Department shall forward a copy of each approved site approval for mining operations and/or approved reclamation plan, and a copy of the approved financial assurances to the State Department of Conservation. By July 1 of each year, the Planning Department shall submit to the State Department of Conservation for each active or idle mining operation a copy of the site approval or reclamation plan amendments, as applicable, or a statement that there have been no changes during the previous year.
(SCC 1391 § 2, 2008)
The Planning Department shall arrange for inspection of a surface mining operation within six months of receipt of the annual report required in Section 20.04.110, to determine whether the surface mining operation is in compliance with the approved permit and/or reclamation plan, approved financial assurances, and applicable State regulations. In no event shall less than one inspection be conducted in any calendar year. Said inspections may be made by a state-registered geologist, state-registered civil engineer, state-licensed landscape architect, or state-registered forester, who is experienced in land reclamation and who has not been employed by the mining operation in any capacity during the previous 12 months, or other qualified specialists, as selected by the Planning Director. All inspections shall be conducted using a form approved and provided by the State Mining and Geology Board. The Planning Department shall notify the State Department of Conservation within 30 days of completion of the inspection that said inspection has been conducted, and shall forward a copy of said inspection notice and any supporting documentation to the mining operator. The operator shall be solely responsible for the reasonable cost of such inspection.
(SCC 1391 § 2, 2008)
If the Planning Director, based upon an annual inspection or otherwise confirmed by an inspection of the mining operation, determines that a surface mining operation is not in compliance with this chapter, the permit and/or the reclamation plan, the County shall follow the procedures set forth in PRC Sections 2774.1 and 2774.2.
(SCC 1391 § 2, 2008)
Any person aggrieved by an act or determination of the Planning Department in the exercise of authority granted herein, shall have the right to appeal to the Board of Zoning Appeals. An appeal shall be filed on forms provided, within (15) calendar days after the rendition, in writing, of the appealed decision.
(SCC 1391 § 2, 2008)
Fees for any of the review, reports, inspections, hearings or other procedures required or authorized pursuant to this chapter shall be established by resolution of the Board of Supervisors which may be amended from time to time and shall reflect the reasonable costs incurred by the County. To the extent no fee is set by resolution or to the extent that actual costs exceed the fees established by such resolution, additional amounts may be required to be paid subject to review and approval of such amounts by the Office of Auditor-Controller.
(SCC 1391 § 2, 2008)
The Board must make the following findings before granting final approval of a reclamation plan:
A.
That the reclamation plan complies with SMARA Sections 2772 and 2773, and any other applicable provisions;
B.
That the reclamation plan complies with applicable requirements of State regulations (CCR Sections 3500-3505, and Sections 3700-3713);
C.
That the reclamation plan and potential use of reclaimed land pursuant to the plan are consistent with this chapter and the County's General Plan and any applicable resource plan or element;
D.
That the reclamation plan has been reviewed pursuant to CEQA and the County's environmental review guidelines, and all significant adverse impacts from reclamation of the surface mining operations are mitigated to the maximum extent feasible;
E.
That the land and/or resources such as water bodies to be reclaimed will be restored to a condition that is compatible with, and blends in with, the surrounding natural environment, topography, and other resources, or that suitable off-site development will compensate for related disturbance to resource values;
F.
That the reclamation plan will restore the mined lands to a usable condition that is readily adaptable for alternative land uses consistent with the County General Plan and applicable resource plan; and
G.
That a written response to the State Department of Conservation has been prepared, describing the disposition of major issues raised by that Department. Where the County's position is at variance with the recommendations and objections raised by the State Department of Conservation, said response shall address, in detail, why specific comments and suggestions were not accepted.
(SCC 1391 § 2, 2008)
A.
Within 90 days of a surface mining operation becoming idle, the operator shall submit to the Planning Department a proposed Interim Management Plan (IMP). The proposed IMP shall fully comply with the requirements of SMARA, including but not limited to all Site Approval conditions, and shall provide measures the operator will implement to maintain the site in a stable condition, taking into consideration public health and safety. The proposed IMP shall be submitted on forms provided by the Planning Department, and shall be processed as an amendment to the reclamation plan. IMPs shall not be considered a project for the purposes of environmental review.
B.
Financial assurances for idle operations shall be maintained as though the operation were active.
C.
Upon receipt of a complete proposed IMP, the Planning Department shall forward the IMP to the State Department of Conservation for review. The IMP shall be submitted to the State Department of Conservation at least 30 days prior to approval by the Planning Commission.
D.
Within 60 days of receipt of the proposed IMP, or a longer period mutually agreed upon by the Planning Director and the operator, the Planning Commission shall review and approve or deny the IMP in accordance with this chapter. The operator shall have 30 days, or a longer period mutually agreed upon by the operator and the Planning Director, to submit a revised IMP. The Planning Commission shall approve or deny the revised IMP within 60 days of receipt. If the Planning Commission denies the revised IMP, the operator may appeal that action to the Board of Supervisors.
E.
The IMP may remain in effect for a period not to exceed five years, at which time the Planning Commission may renew the IMP for another period not to exceed five years, or require the surface mining operator to commence reclamation in accordance with its approved reclamation plan.
(SCC 1391 § 2, 2008)