Pursuant to section 2774(b) of the Act, at least once a year the Director of Planning and Development shall conduct an inspection of each surface mining operation to determine whether the surface mining operator is in compliance with the Act and this Chapter. The Director may cause such an inspection to be conducted by a state-registered geologist, state-registered civil engineer, state-licensed landscape architect, state-registered forester or other designee, who is experienced in land reclamation and who has not been employed by the mining operation in any capacity during the previous 12 months. All inspections shall be conducted using the form furnished by the State Mining and Geology Board and shall be undertaken within six (6) months of receipt by the County of the surface mining operation’s annual report submitted pursuant to Public Resources Code section 2207.
(Amended by Ord. No. 3238, effective 3-30-00)
The operator shall be responsible for payment of the inspection fee established in section 7-25-1105 of this Chapter. Such fee shall be due within thirty (30) days of written notification by the Planning and Development Director. Failure to pay the fee in a timely manner may be considered a violation of the surface mining permit or any vested right to operate and shall be cause for exercise of any of the remedies under this Chapter, including but not limited to revocation of the surface mining permit or vested right to operate pursuant to Article 9 of this Chapter.
(a) 
The Planning and Development Director shall notify the Director of Conservation, within 30 days of completion of the inspection, that the inspection has been conducted. The notice shall contain a statement regarding the surface mine’s compliance with the Act, shall include a copy of the completed inspection form, and shall specify which aspects of the surface mining operations, if any, are inconsistent with the Act or the conditions of approval of the mining permit and/or reclamation plan. If the surface mining operation has an appeal pending in the case of a surface mining operator or owner with vested rights under subdivision (b) of section 2770 of the Act, a review of existing financial assurances pending pursuant to subdivision (c) of section 2770, or an appeal pending pursuant to subdivision (e) or (h) of section 27700 of the Act, the notice shall so indicate.
(b) 
The Planning and Development Director shall also transmit to the operator and owner and the body which took final action on the permit and/or plan a copy of the notice and any supporting documentation, including any inspection report prepared by the geologist, civil engineer, landscape architect, or forester.