Section 1701.5  Definitions

 

Definitions are found in Appendix A of this Part.

 

(Source:  Amended at 6 Ill. Reg. 1, effective June 1, 1982)

 

Section 1701.APPENDIX A  Definitions

 

As used in 62 Ill. Adm. Code 1700 through 1850, the following terms have the specified meanings, except when another meaning is given:

 

"Acid drainage" means water with a pH of less than 6.0 and in which total acidity exceeds total alkalinity, discharged from an active, inactive or abandoned surface coal mine and reclamation operation or from an area affected by surface coal mining and reclamation operations.

 

"Acid-forming materials" means earth materials that contain sulfide minerals or other materials which, if exposed to air, water or weather processes, form acids that may create acid drainage.

 

"Act" or "Federal Act" means the Surface Mining Control and Reclamation Act of 1977 (P.L. 95-87; 30 USC 1201 et seq.).

 

"Adjacent area" means the area located outside the permit area, or shadow area, where a resource or resources, determined according to the context in which adjacent area is used, are or reasonably could be expected to be adversely impacted by proposed mining operations.

 

"Administratively complete application" means an application for permit approval or approval for coal exploration where required, which the Department determines to contain information addressing each application requirement of the regulatory program and to contain all information necessary to initiate processing and public review.

 

"Affected area" means, with respect to surface mining activities, any land or water upon or in which those activities are conducted or located.  With respect to underground mining activities, affected area means: any water or surface land upon which those activities are conducted or located.

 

"Agricultural use" means the use of any tract of land for the production of animal or vegetable life.  The uses include, but are not limited to, the pasturing, grazing, and watering of livestock, and the cropping, cultivation, and harvesting of plants.

 

"Applicant" means any person seeking a permit; permit revision; renewal; or transfer, assignment or sale from the Department to conduct surface coal mining and reclamation operations or, where required, seeking approval for coal exploration.

 

"Applicant Violator System" or "AVS" means the computer system maintained by OSM to identify ownership or control links involving permit applicants, permittees, and persons cited in violation notices.

 

"Application" means the documents and other information filed with the Department for the issuance of permits; revisions; renewals; and transfer, assignment, or sale of permit rights for surface coal mining and reclamation operations or, when required, for coal exploration.

 

"Approximate original contour" means that surface configuration achieved by backfilling and grading of the mined areas so that the reclaimed area, including any terracing or access roads, closely resembles the general surface configuration of the land prior to mining and blends into and complements the drainage pattern of the surrounding terrain, with all highwalls, and spoil piles and coal refuse piles eliminated.  Permanent water impoundments may be permitted where the Department has determined that they comply with 62 Ill. Adm. Code 1816.49 and 1816.56, 1816.133 or 1817.49, 1817.56 and 1817.133.  (Section 1.03(a)(2) of the State Act)

 

"Aquifer" means a zone, stratum, or group of strata that can store and transmit water in sufficient quantities for specific use.

 

"Article" means an Article of the State Act.

 

"Auger mining" means a method of mining coal at a cliff or highwall by drilling holes into an exposed coal seam from the cliff or highwall and transporting the coal along an auger bit to the surface.

 

"Best technology currently available" means equipment, devices, systems, methods, or techniques that will:

 

prevent, to the extent possible, additional contributions of suspended solids to stream flow or runoff outside the permit area, but in no event result in contributions of suspended solids in excess of requirements set by 62 Ill. Adm. Code 1816.42; and

 

minimize, to the extent possible, disturbances and adverse impacts on fish, wildlife and related environmental values, and achieve enhancement of those resources where practicable.  The term includes equipment, devices, systems, methods, or techniques that are currently available anywhere as determined by the Department, even if they are not in routine use.  The term includes, but is not limited to, construction practices, siting requirements, vegetative selection and planting requirements, animal stocking requirements, scheduling of activities and design of sedimentation ponds in accordance with 62 Ill. Adm. Code 1816 and 1817.

 

"Boxcut" means the first open cut resulting in the placing of overburden on unmined land adjacent to the initial pit.

 

"Cemetery" means any area of land where human bodies are interred.

 

"Coal" means combustible carbonaceous rock, classified as anthracite, bituminous, subbituminous, or lignite by ASTM Standard D 388-84 found at pp. 247-252 in Vol 5.05 of the Annual Book of ASTM Standards published by the American Society for Testing and Materials, 1916 Race St., Philadelphia PA 19103.

 

"Coal exploration" means the field gathering of:

 

surface or subsurface geologic, physical, or chemical data by mapping, trenching, drilling, geophysical, or other techniques necessary to determine the quality and quantity of overburden and coal of an area; or

 

the gathering of environmental data to establish the conditions of an area before beginning surface coal mining and reclamation operations under the requirements of 62 Ill. Adm. Code 1700 through 1850.

 

"Coal mine waste" means coal processing waste and underground development waste.

 

"Coal mining operation" means the business of developing, producing, preparing or loading bituminous coal, subbituminous coal, anthracite, or lignite, or of reclaiming the area upon which the activities occur.

 

"Coal processing or coal preparation" means chemical or physical processing and the cleaning, concentrating, or other processing or preparation of coal.

 

"Coal preparation plant" means a facility where coal is subjected to chemical or physical processing or the cleaning, concentrating, or other processing or preparation.  It includes facilities associated with coal preparation activities including, but not limited to the following: loading facilities; storage and stockpile facilities; sheds, shops and other buildings; water treatment and water storage facilities; settling basins and impoundments; coal processing and other waste disposal areas.

 

"Coal processing waste" means earth materials that are separated and wasted from the product coal during cleaning, concentrating, or other processing or preparation of coal.

 

"Combustible material" means organic material that is capable of burning, either by fire or through oxidation, accompanied by the evolution of heat and a significant temperature rise.

 

"Community or institutional building" means any structure, other than a public building or an occupied dwelling, that is used primarily for functions of community groups; used for an educational, cultural, historic, religious, scientific, correctional, mental-health or physical-health care facility; or is used for public services, including, but not limited to, water supply, power generation or sewage treatment.

 

"Compaction" means increasing the density of a material by reducing the voids between the particles and is generally accomplished by controlled placement and mechanical effort such as from repeated application of wheel, track, or roller loads from heavy equipment.

 

"Complete and accurate application" means an application for permit approval or approval for coal exploration when required, that the Department determines contains all information the State Act and 62 Ill. Adm. Code 1700 through 1850 require.

 

"Consolidated material" means materials of sufficient hardness or stability to resist weathering so as to inhibit erosion or sloughing.

 

"Control" or "Controller", when used in 62 Ill. Adm. Code 1773, 1774 and 1778, refers to or means:

 

a permittee of a surface coal mining operation;

 

an operator of a surface coal mining operation; or

 

any person who has the ability to determine the manner in which a surface coal mining operation is conducted.

 

"Cropland" means land used for the production of adapted crops for harvest, alone or in a rotation with grasses and legumes, and includes row crops, small grain crops, hay crops, nursery crops, orchard crops, and other similar specialty crops.

 

"Cumulative impact area" means the area, including the permit area, within which impacts resulting from the proposed operation may interact with the impacts of all anticipated mining on surface and groundwater systems. Anticipated mining shall include, at a minimum, the entire projected lives through bond release of:

 

the proposed operation;

 

all existing operations;

 

any operation for which a permit application has been submitted to the Department.

 

"Darkened surface soil" means mineral horizons formed at or adjacent to the surface of the soil that are higher in organic matter content and visibly darker in color than the immediately underlying horizons.

 

"Department" means the Illinois Department of Natural Resources, Office of Mines and Minerals, or its successor.

 

"Direct financial interest" means ownership or part ownership by an employee of lands, stocks, bonds, debentures, warrants, partnership shares, or other holdings and also means any other arrangement in which the employee may benefit from his or her holding in or salary from coal mining operations.  Direct financial interests include employment, pensions, creditor, real property, and other financial relationships.

 

"Director" means the Director of the Department of Natural Resources.

 

"Disturbed area" means an area where vegetation, topsoil, or overburden is removed or upon which topsoil, spoil, coal processing waste, underground development waste, or noncoal waste is placed by surface coal mining operations.  Those areas are classified as disturbed until reclamation is complete and the performance bond or other assurance of performance required by 62 Ill. Adm. Code 1800 is released.

 

"Diversion" means a channel, embankment, or other man-made structure constructed to divert water from one area to another.

 

"Downslope" means the land surface between the projected outcrop of the lowest coalbed being mined along each highwall and a valley floor.

 

"Drinking, domestic or residential water supply" means water received from a well or spring and any appurtenant delivery system that provides water for direct human consumption or household use.  Wells and springs that serve only agricultural, commercial or industrial enterprises are not included except to the extent the water supply is for direct human consumption, human sanitation, or domestic use.

 

"Embankment" means an artificial deposit of material that is raised above the natural surface of the land and used to contain, divert, or store water, support roads or railways, or for other similar purposes.

 

"Employee" means:

 

any person employed by the Department who performs any function or duty under the Act; and

 

advisory board or commission members and consultants who perform any function or duty under the Act, if they perform decision-making functions for the Department under the authority of State law or regulations.  However, members of advisory boards or commissions established in accordance with State law or regulations to represent multiple interests are not considered to be employees.  State officials may through State law or regulations expand this definition to meet their program needs.

 

"Ephemeral stream" means a stream that meets both of the following requirements:

 

It flows only in direct response to precipitation in the immediate watershed or in response to the melting of a cover of snow and ice; and

 

It has a channel bottom that is always above the local water table.

 

"Excess spoil" means spoil material disposed of in a location other than the mined-out area; provided, the spoil material used to achieve the approximate original contour or to blend the mined-out area with the surrounding terrain in accordance with 62 Ill. Adm. Code 1816.102(d) and 1817.102(d) in nonsteep slope areas shall not be considered excess spoil.

 

"Existing structure" means a structure used in connection with surface coal mining and reclamation operations for which construction began prior to June 1, 1982.

 

"Extraction of coal as an incidental part" means the extraction of coal that is necessary to enable the construction to be accomplished.  For purposes of 62 Ill. Adm. Code 1703, only that coal extracted from within the right-of-way, in the case of a road, railroad, utility line or other such construction, or within the boundaries of the area directly affected by other types of government-financed construction, may be considered incidental to that construction.  Extraction of coal outside the right-of-way or boundary of the area directly affected by the construction shall be subject to the requirements of the Act and 62 Ill. Adm. Code 1703.

 

"Federal Director" means the Director of the Federal Office of Surface Mining Reclamation and Enforcement.

 

"Final cut" means the last pit created in a surface-mined area.

 

"Fragile lands" means geographic areas containing important natural, ecologic, scientific or esthetic resources that could be damaged or destroyed by surface coal mining operations.  Examples of fragile lands include valuable habitats for fish or wildlife, critical habitats for endangered or threatened species of animals or plants, uncommon geologic formations, National Natural Landmark sites, areas where mining may cause flooding, environmental corridors containing a concentration of ecologic and esthetic features, areas of recreational value due to high environmental quality, and buffer zones adjacent to the boundaries of areas where surface coal mining operations are prohibited under Section 7.01 of the State Act [225 ILCS 720/7.01] and 62 Ill. Adm. Code 1761.11, if those areas have characteristics requiring additional areal protection or if the buffer zone itself contains fragile resources.

 

"Fugitive dust" means that particulate matter not emitted from a duct or stack which becomes airborne due to the forces of wind or surface coal mining and reclamation operations or both.  During surface coal mining and reclamation, it may include emissions from haul roads; wind erosion of exposed surfaces, storage piles, and spoil piles; reclamation operations; and other activities in which material is either removed, stored, transported, or redistributed.

 

"Government financing agency" means a federal, State, county, municipal or other unit of local government, or a department, bureau, agency or office of the unit that, directly or through another unit of government, finances construction.

 

"Government-financed construction" means construction funded at 50 percent or more by funds appropriated from a government financing agency's budget or obtained from general revenue bonds.  Government financing at less than 50 percent may qualify if the construction is undertaken as an approved reclamation project under Title IV of the Act.  Construction funded through government financing agency guarantees, insurance, loans, funds obtained through industrial revenue bonds or their equivalent, or in-kind payments does not qualify as government-financed construction.

 

"Gravity discharge" means, with respect to underground mining activities, mine drainage that flows freely in an open channel downgradient.  Mine drainage that occurs as a result of flooding a mine to the level of the discharge is not gravity discharge.

 

"Ground cover" means the area of ground covered by the combined aboveground parts of vegetation and by the litter that is produced naturally on site.

 

"Ground water" means subsurface water that fills available openings in rock or soil materials to the extent that they are considered water saturated.

 

"Head-of-hollow fill" means a fill structure consisting of any material, other than organic material, placed in the uppermost reaches of a hollow where side slopes of the existing hollow measured at the steepest point are greater than 20 degrees or the average slope of the profile of the hollow from the toe of the fill to the top of the fill is greater than ten degrees.  In head-of-hollow fills, the top surface of the fill, when completed, is at approximately the same elevation as the adjacent ridge line, and no significant area of natural drainage occurs above the fill draining into the fill area.

 

"High capability land" means land not meeting the definition of prime farmland or land exempted in accordance with 62 Ill. Adm. Code 1785.17 when the Department determines the following three facts are present together:

 

The land is capable of being reclaimed for row-crop agricultural purposes;

 

The land is suitable for row-crop agricultural purposes based on U.S. Department of Agriculture, Soil Conservation Service (SCS) soil survey classifications of the affected land prior to mining (all soil types in capability Classes I, II, III and those soil types in capability Class IV with slopes of five percent or less), as set forth in Land-Capability Classification, Agriculture Handbook No. 210, published by the SCS 1973; and

 

The optimum future use of the land is for row-crop agricultural purposes.

 

"Highwall" means the face of exposed overburden and coal in an open cut of a surface coal mining activity or for entry to underground mining activities.

 

"Highwall remnant" means that portion of highwall that remains after backfilling and grading of a remining permit area.

 

"Higher or better uses" means post-mining land uses that have a higher economic value or nonmonetary benefit to the landowner or the community than the premining land uses.

 

"Historically used for cropland" means:

 

Lands that have been used for cropland for any five years or more out of the 10 years immediately preceding the acquisition, including purchase, lease, or option, of the lands for the purpose of conducting or allowing through resale, lease or option, the conduct of surface coal mining and reclamation operations;

 

Lands that the Department determines, on the basis of additional cropland history of the surrounding lands and the lands under consideration that the permit area is clearly cropland but falls outside the specific five-years-in-10 criterion, in which case the regulations for prime farmland shall be applied to include more years of cropland history only to increase the prime farmland acreage to be preserved; or

 

Lands that would likely have been used as cropland for any five out of the last 10 years, immediately preceding acquisition but for the same fact of ownership or control of the land unrelated to the productivity of the land.

 

"Historic lands" means, for purposes of implementing 62 Ill. Adm. Code 1762 and 1764, important historic, cultural, and scientific areas that could be damaged or be destroyed by surface coal mining operations.  Examples of historic lands include archaeological and paleontological sites, National Historic Landmark sites, sites listed on or eligible for listing on a State or National Register of Historic Places, sites having religious or cultural significance to native Americans or religious groups or sites for which historic designation is pending.

 

"Hydrologic balance" means the relationship between the quality and quantity of water inflow to, water outflow from, and water storage in a hydrologic unit such as a drainage basin, aquifer, soil zone, lake, or reservoir.  It encompasses the dynamic relationships among precipitation, runoff, evaporation, and changes in ground and surface water storage.

 

"Hydrologic regime" means the entire state of water movement in a given area.  It is a function of the climate and includes the phenomena by which water first occurs as atmospheric water vapor, passes into a liquid or solid form, falls as precipitation, moves along or into the ground surface, and returns to the atmosphere as vapor by means of evaporation and transpiration.

 

"Imminent danger to the health and safety of the public" means the existence of any condition or practice, or any violation of a permit or other requirements of the State Act in a surface coal mining and reclamation operation, which could reasonably be expected to cause substantial physical harm to persons outside the permit area before the condition, practice, or violation can be abated.  A reasonable expectation of death or serious injury before abatement exists if a rational person, subjected to the same condition or practice giving rise to the peril, would avoid exposure to the danger during the time necessary for abatement. (Section 1.03(a)(7) of the State Act)

 

"Impounding structure" means a dam, embankment, or other structure used to impound water, slurry, or other liquid or semi-liquid material.

 

"Impoundment" means a closed basin, naturally formed or artificially built, which is dammed or excavated for the retention of water, sediment or waste.

 

"Indirect financial interest" means the same financial relationships as for direct ownership, but from which the employee reaps the benefits of the interests, including interests held by his or her spouse, minor child and other relatives, including in-laws, residing in the employee's home.  The employee will not be deemed to have an indirect financial interest if there is no relationship between the employee's duties and the coal mining operation in which the spouse, minor children, or other resident relatives hold a financial interest.

 

"In situ processes" means activities conducted in connection with in-place distillation, retorting, leaching, or other chemical or physical processing of coal.  The term includes, but is not limited to, in situ gasification, in situ leaching, slurry mining, solution mining, borehole mining, and fluid recovery mining.

 

"Intermittent stream" means:

 

A stream or reach of a stream that drains a watershed of at least one square mile; or

 

A stream or reach of a stream that is below the local water table for at least some part of the year, and obtains its flow from both surface runoff and ground water discharge.

 

"Irreparable damage to the environment" means any damage to the environment in violation of the State Act or 62 Ill. Adm. Code, Chapter I that cannot be corrected by actions of the applicant.

 

"Knowing" or "Knowingly" means that a person who authorized, ordered or carried out an act or omission knew, or had reason to know, that the act or omission would result in either a violation or a failure to abate or correct a violation.

 

"Land capability" means the soils' premining capabilities based on the SCS classification system as found in Agriculture Handbook No. 210, Land-Capability Classification, (1973) as interpreted from the soils map for sustained production of commonly cultivated crops or for the production of permanent vegetation.

 

"Land eligible for remining" means those lands that would otherwise be eligible for expenditures under section 402(g)(4) or section 404 of the Surface Mining Control and Reclamation Act of 1977 (30 USC 1232(g)(4) and 1234).

 

"Land use" means specific uses or management-related activities, rather than the vegetation or cover of the land.  Land uses may be identified in combination when joint or seasonal uses occur and may include land used for support facilities that are an integral part of the use.  Changes of land use or uses from one of the following categories to another shall be considered as a change to an alternative land use which is subject to approval by the Department in accordance with 62 Ill. Adm. Code 1780.23.

 

"Cropland" means land used for the production of adapted crops for harvest, alone or in a rotation with grasses and legumes, and includes row crops, small grain crops, hay crops, nursery crops, orchard crops, and other similar specialty crops.  Allowable support facilities include access roads, farm buildings, hedgerows, erosion control structures such as grassed waterways, terraces and sediment ponds, and other incidental facilities related to cropland management, except that no facility, other than erosion control structures, may be located on prime farmland.

 

"Pastureland" means land used primarily for the long-term production of adapted, domesticated forage plants to be grazed by the livestock or occasionally cut and cured for livestock feed.  Allowable support facilities include access roads, farm buildings, erosion control structures such as grassed waterways, downdrains, terraces and sediment ponds, water impoundments used for stock watering, and other incidental facilities related to pasture management.

 

"Grazingland" means land used for grasslands and forest lands where the indigenous vegetation is actively managed for grazing, browsing, or occasional hay production.

 

"Forestry" means land used or managed for the long-term production of wood, wood fiber, or wood-derived products.  Allowable support facilities include water impoundments, access and fire control lanes, erosion control structures such as grassed waterways, downdrains, terraces and sediment ponds, and other incidental facilities related to sound multiple use management of the forest resource.

 

"Residential" means land used for single- and multiple-family housing, mobile home parks, and other residential lodgings.

 

"Industrial/Commercial" means land used for:

 

Extraction or transformation of materials for fabrication of products, wholesaling of products, or for long-term storage of products.  This includes all heavy and light manufacturing facilities.

 

Retail or trade of goods or services, including hotels, motels, stores, restaurants, and other commercial establishments.

 

"Recreation" is land used for public or private leisure-time use, including developed recreation facilities such as parks, camps, and amusement areas, as well as areas for less intensive uses such as hiking, canoeing, and other undeveloped recreational uses.  Allowable support facilities include water impoundments, access roads, and other incidental facilities related to the recreational development of the area.

 

"Fish and wildlife habitat" is land dedicated wholly or partially to the production, protection, or management of fish or wildlife.  Allowable support facilities include water impoundments, access lanes, erosion control structures such as grassed waterways, downdrains, terraces and sediment ponds, and other incidental facilities related to sound fish and wildlife management practices.

 

"Developed water resources" includes land used for storing water for beneficial uses such as stockponds, irrigation, fire protection, flood control, and water supply.  Where appropriate, developed water resources are considered a joint or seasonal use with cropland, pastureland, forestry, recreation and fish and wildlife habitat.

 

"Undeveloped land or no current use or land management" includes land that is undeveloped or, if previously developed, land that has been allowed to return naturally to an undeveloped state or has been allowed to return to forest through natural succession.  A post-mining designation of undeveloped land shall not be allowed for any land that is proposed to be affected by the mining operation.

 

"Material damage", in the context of 62 Ill. Adm. Code 1784.20 and 62 Ill. Adm. Code 1817.121, means:

 

Any functional impairment of surface lands, features, structures or facilities;

 

Any physical change that has a significant adverse impact on the affected land's capability to support any current or reasonably foreseeable uses or causes significant loss in production or income; or

 

Any significant change in the condition, appearance or utility of any structure or facility from its pre-subsidence condition.

 

"Mining operations or surface coal mining operations" means both surface mining operations and underground mining operations. (Section 1.03(a)(11) of the State Act)

 

"Moist bulk density" means the weight of soil (oven dry) per unit volume.  Volume is measured when the soil is at field moisture capacity (⅓ bar moisture tension).  Weight is determined after drying the soil at 105° C.

 

"MSHA" means the Mine Safety and Health Administration of the United States Department of Labor.

 

"Mulch" means vegetation residues or other suitable materials that aid in soil stabilization and soil moisture conservation, thus providing micro-climatic conditions suitable for germination and growth.

 

"Natural hazard lands" means geographic areas in which natural conditions exist that pose or, as a result of surface coal mining operations, may pose a threat to the health, safety or welfare of people, property or the environment, including areas subject to landslides, cave-ins, large or encroaching sand dunes, severe wind or soil erosion, frequent flooding, avalanches, and areas of unstable geology.

 

"Noxious plants" means any plant species listed as a "noxious weed" under regulations authorized by the Illinois Noxious Weed Law [505 ILCS 100]; any plant species whose seed is listed as a "prohibited (primary) noxious weed" or "restricted" (secondary) noxious weed" or "weed seeds" under regulations authorized by the Illinois Seed Law [505 ILCS 110]; or any plant that the Department of Agriculture has declared a pest under the Illinois Pesticide Act [415 ILCS 60].

 

"Occupied dwelling" means any building that is currently being used on a regular or temporary basis for human habitation.

 

"Office" means the Office of Surface Mining Reclamation and Enforcement, U.S. Department of the Interior.

 

"Operator" means any person engaged in coal mining who removes or intends to remove more than 250 tons of coal from the earth or from coal refuse piles by mining within 12 consecutive calendar months in any one location.

 

"Outslope" means the face of the spoil or embankment sloping downward from the highest elevation to the toe.

 

"Overburden" means material of any nature, consolidated or unconsolidated, that overlies a coal deposit, excluding topsoil.

 

"Own", "Owner" or "Ownership", as used in 62 Ill. Adm. Code 1773, 1774 and 1778 (except when used in the context of ownership of real property), means being a sole proprietor or owner of record in excess of 50 percent of the voting securities or other instruments of ownership of an entity.

 

"Ownership or control link" means any relationship included in the definition of owned or controlled or owns or controls at 62 Ill. Adm. Code 1773.5(a) and (b) or in the violations review provisions of 62 Ill. Adm. Code 1773.15(b).  It includes any relationship presumed to constitute ownership or control under the definition of "owned or controlled" or "owns or controls" unless such presumption has been successfully rebutted under the provisions of 62 Ill. Adm. Code 1773.24 and 1773.25.

 

"Perennial stream" means a stream that flows continuously during all of the calendar year or part of a stream that flows continuously during all of the calendar year.  The stream or part of a stream flows continuously as a result of groundwater discharge or surface runoff.  The term does not include intermittent stream or ephemeral stream.

 

"Performance bond" means a surety bond, collateral bond, or a combination of surety bond and collateral bond, by which a permittee assures faithful performance of all the requirements of the Federal Act, the State Act, 62 Ill. Adm. Code, Chapter I, and the requirements of the permit and reclamation plan.

 

"Performing any function or duty under this Act" means those decisions or actions that, if an employee performed or did not perform, would affect the programs under the State Act.

 

"Permanent diversion" means a diversion remaining after surface coal mining and reclamation operations are completed that has been approved for retention by the Department and other appropriate State and federal agencies.

 

"Permanent impoundment" means an impoundment that the Department approved and, if required, is approved by other State and federal agencies for retention as part of the post-mining land use.

 

"Permit" means a permit to conduct surface coal mining and reclamation operations that the Department issues pursuant to the State program.

 

"Permit area" means the area of land and water within the boundaries of the permit that are designated on the permit application maps, as approved by the Department.  This area shall include all areas:

 

that are or will be affected by the surface coal mining and reclamation operations during the term of the permit, including all disturbed areas;

 

where the operator proposes to conduct surface coal mining and reclamation operations under the permit; and

 

that are required to be bonded (see 62 Ill. Adm. Code 1800). 

 

These areas shall be indicated on the approved map the operator submits with the operator's application. Areas adequately bonded under another valid permit may be excluded from a permit area.  The permit area excludes the area defined in this Part as the shadow area.

 

"Permit term" means the period during which the permittee may engage in mining and reclamation operations under the permit.  (Section 1.03(a)(18) of the State Act)

 

"Permittee" means a person holding or required by the State Act or 62 Ill. Adm. Code 1700 through 1850 to hold a permit to conduct surface coal mining and reclamation operations issued by a department pursuant to a State program.

 

"Person" means an individual, Indian tribe when conducting surface coal mining and reclamation operations on non-Indian lands, general partnership, limited partnership, business trust association, society, joint venture, joint stock company, firm, company, corporation, cooperative or other business organization, or any agency, unit, or instrumentality of federal, State or local government, including any publicly-owned utility or publicly-owned corporation of federal, State or local government.

 

"Person having an interest which is or may be adversely affected" or "Person with a valid legal interest" shall include any person:

 

Who uses any resources of economic, recreational, esthetic, or environmental value that may be adversely affected by coal exploration or surface coal mining and reclamation operations or any related action of the Secretary or the Department; or

 

Whose property is or may be adversely affected by coal exploration or surface coal mining and reclamation operations or any related action of the Secretary or the Department.

 

"Placeland" means undisturbed land before any mining activity.

 

"Precipitation event" means a quantity of water resulting from drizzle, rain, snow, sleet, or hail in a limited period of time. It may be expressed in terms of recurrence interval.  Precipitation event also includes that quantity of water emanating from snow cover as snow-melt in a limited period of time.

 

"Previously mined area" means land  that had been mined before August 3, 1977 that has not been reclaimed to the standards of 62 Ill. Adm. Code 1700 through 1850.

 

"Prime farmland" means those lands that are defined by the Secretary of Agriculture in 7 CFR 657 (January 31, 1978) and that have historically been used for cropland as defined in this Section.

 

"Principal shareholder" means any person who is the record or beneficial owner of 10 percent or more of any class of voting stock.

 

"Prohibited financial interest" means any direct or indirect financial interest in any coal mining operation.

 

"Property to be mined" means both the surface and mineral estates within the permit area and the mineral estate within the shadow area.

 

"Public building" means any structure that is owned or leased and principally used by a public government agency for public business or meetings.

 

"Public office" means a facility under the control of a governmental entity that is open to public access on a regular basis during reasonable business hours.

 

"Public park" means an area or portion of an area dedicated or designated by any federal, State, or local agency primarily for public recreational use, whether or not such use is limited to certain times or days, including any land leased, reserved or held open to the public because of that use.

 

"Publicly-owned park" means a public park that is owned by a federal, State or local governmental entity.

 

"Public road" means a road:  

 

that has been designated as a public road pursuant to the law of the jurisdiction in which it is located;

 

that is maintained with public funds in a manner similar to other public roads of the same classification within the jurisdiction;

 

for which there is substantial (more than incidental) public use; and

 

that meets road construction standards for other public roads of the same classification in the local jurisdiction.

 

"Qualified registered professional engineer" means a civil engineer, mining engineer, environmental engineer or general engineer meeting the requirements of Section 9 of the Professional Engineering Practice Act of 1989 [225 ILCS 325].

 

"Rangeland" means land on which the natural potential (climax) plant cover is principally native grasses, forbs, and shrubs valuable for forage.  This land includes natural grasslands and savannahs, such as prairies, and juniper savannahs, such as brushlands. Except for brush control, management is primarily achieved by regulating the intensity of grazing and season of use.

 

"Reasonably available spoil" means spoil and suitable coal mine waste material generated by the remining operation or other spoil or suitable coal mine waste material located in the permit area that is accessible and available for use and that when rehandled will not cause a hazard to public safety or significant damage to the environment.

 

"Recharge capacity" means the ability of the soils and underlying materials to allow precipitation and runoff to infiltrate and reach the zone of saturation.

 

"Reclamation" means those actions that 62 Ill. Adm. Code 1700 through 1850 requires to restore mined land to a post-mining land use that the Department has approved.  These actions do not include subsidence control measures conducted in the shadow area to restore damaged land to pre-mining capability.

 

"Recurrence interval" means the interval of time in which a precipitation event is expected to occur once, on the average. For example, the 10-year,  24-hour precipitation event would be that  24-hour precipitation event expected to occur on the average once in 10 years.

 

"Reference area" means a land unit maintained under appropriate management for the purpose of measuring vegetation ground cover, productivity and plant species diversity that are produced naturally or by Department-approved crop production methods. Reference areas must be representative of geology, soil, slope, and vegetation in the permit area.

 

"Refuse pile" means a surface deposit of coal mine waste that does not impound water, slurry, or other liquid or semi-liquid material.

 

"Regional Director" means Regional Director of the Office or Regional Director of the Office's representative.

 

"Regulatory program" means Illinois' permanent regulatory program that the Office approved and set forth in 30 CFR 913.1-913.16 (July 19, 2004).

 

"Remining" means conducting surface coal mining and reclamation operations that affect previously mined areas.

 

"Renewable resource lands" means aquifers and areas for the recharge of aquifers and other underground waters, areas for agricultural or silvicultural production of food and fiber, and grazing lands.

 

"Replacement of water supply" means, with respect to protected water supplies contaminated, diminished, or interrupted by coal mining operations, provision of water supply on both a temporary and permanent basis equivalent to premining quantity and quality.  Replacement includes provisions of an equivalent water delivery system and payment of operation and maintenance costs in excess of customary and reasonable delivery costs for premining water supplies.

 

Upon agreement by the permittee and the water supply owner, the obligation to pay operation and maintenance costs may be satisfied by a one-time payment in an amount that covers the present worth of the increased annual operation and maintenance costs for a period agreed to by the permittee and the water supply owner.

 

If the affected water supply was not needed for the land use in existence at the time of loss, contamination, or diminution, and if the supply is not needed to achieve the postmining land use, replacement requirements may be satisfied by demonstrating that a suitable alternative water source is available and could feasibly be developed.  If the latter approach is selected, written concurrence must be obtained from the water supply owner.

 

"Responsible land management" means that combination of preparation, maintenance, fertilization and tilling of land capable of producing row crops that would be practiced by a person in the business of producing row crops on unmined land in the same region on the same, or similar, soil type as the mined land being managed, if the practices can reasonably be expected to continue after mining and reclamation are completed, as determined by the Department.

 

"Road" means a surface right-of-way for purposes of travel by land vehicles used in surface coal mining and reclamation operations or coal exploration. A road consists of the entire area within the right-of-way, including the roadbed, shoulders, parking and side areas, approaches, structures, ditches, and surface. The term includes access and haulroads constructed, used, reconstructed, improved, or maintained for use in surface coal mining and reclamation operations or coal exploration, including use by coal hauling vehicles to and from transfer, processing or storage areas. The term does not include ramps and routes of travel within the immediate mining area or within spoil or coal mine waste disposal areas.

 

"Safety factor" means the ratio of the available shear strength to the developed shear stress, or the ratio of the sum of the resisting forces to the sum of the loading or driving forces.

 

"Secretary" means the Secretary of the Interior or the Secretary's representative.

 

"Sedimentation pond" means an impoundment used to remove solids from water in order to meet water quality standards or effluent limitations before the water leaves the permit area.

 

"Shadow area" means any area beyond the limits of the permit area in which underground mine workings are located.  This area includes all resources above and below the coal that are protected by the State Act that may be adversely impacted by underground mining operations including impacts of subsidence.

 

"Significant forest cover" means an area where the plant community consists predominantly of trees and other woody vegetation.

 

"Significant, imminent environmental harm to land, air or water resources" means:

 

An environmental harm is an adverse impact on land, air or water resources when the resources include, but are not limited to, plant and animal life;

 

An environmental harm is imminent if a condition, practice or violation exists which:

 

Is causing the harm; or

 

May reasonably be expected to cause harm at any time before the end of the reasonable abatement time that would be set under Section 8.06(c) of the State Act;

 

An environmental harm is significant if that harm is appreciable and not immediately reparable.

 

"Siltation structure" means a device, or devices, used to remove, collect or otherwise control runoff so that resulting outflow will meet applicable effluent standards.

 

"Slope" means average inclination of a surface measured from the horizontal, generally expressed as the ratio of a unit of vertical distance to a given number of units of horizontal distance (e.g., 1v:5h).  It may also be expressed as a percent or in degrees.

 

"Soil horizons" means contrasting layers of soil parallel or nearly parallel to the land surface.  Soil horizons are differentiated on the basis of field characteristics and laboratory data.  The four master soil horizons are:

 

A horizon.  The uppermost mineral layer, often called the surface soil or topsoil.  It is the part of the soil in which organic matter is most abundant, and leaching of soluble or suspended particles is typically the greatest.

 

E horizon.  The layer commonly near the surface below an A horizon and above a B horizon.  An E horizon is most commonly differentiated from an overlying A horizon by lighter color and generally has measurably less organic matter than the A horizon.  An E horizon is most commonly differentiated from the underlying B horizon in the same sequum by color of higher value or lower chroma, by coarser texture, or by a combination of these properties.

 

B horizon.  The layer that typically is immediately beneath the A and E horizons and often called the subsoil.  This middle layer commonly contains more clay, iron, or aluminum than the A, E, or C horizons.

 

C horizon.  The deepest layer of the soil profile.  It consists of loose material or weathered rock that is relatively unaffected by biologic activity.

 

"Soil survey" means a field and other investigation, resulting in a map showing the geographic distribution of different kinds of soils and an accompanying report that describes, classifies, and interprets the soils for use.  Soil surveys must meet the standards of the National Cooperative Soil Survey as incorporated by reference in 62 Ill. Adm. Code 1785.17(c)(1).

 

"Spoil" means overburden that has been removed during surface coal mining operations.

 

"Stabilize" means to control movement of soil, spoil piles, or areas of disturbed earth by modifying the geometry of the mass, or by otherwise modifying physical or chemical properties, such as by providing a protective surface coating.

 

"State Act" means the Surface Coal Mining Land Conservation and Reclamation Act [225 ILCS 720].

 

"State regulatory program" means the Illinois program the Secretary approved on June 1, 1982 pursuant to 30 CFR 732.1 through 732.15 (September 30, 1983).

 

"State violation notice" means a violation notice issued by a State regulatory authority or by another agency or instrumentality of State government.

 

"Steep slope" means any slope of more than  20 degrees or such lesser slope as the Department may designate after consideration of such regional characteristics as soil and climate.

 

"Substantially disturb" means, for purposes of coal exploration, to impact significantly upon land, air or water resources by blasting; by removal of vegetation, topsoil, or overburden; by construction of roads or other access routes; by placement of excavated earth or waste material on the natural land surface or by other such activities; or to remove more than 250 tons of coal.

 

"Substantial legal and financial commitments in a surface coal mining operation" means significant investments that have been made on the basis of a long-term coal contract in power plants, railroads, coal-handling, preparation, extraction or storage facilities, and other capital-intensive activities.  An example would be an existing mine, not actually producing coal, but in a substantial stage of development prior to production.  Costs of acquiring the coal in place or of the right to mine it without an existing mine alone, as described in this example, are not sufficient to constitute substantial legal and financial commitments.

 

"Successor in interest" means any person who succeeds to rights granted under a permit, by transfer, assignment, or sale of those rights.

 

"Surface mining activities" means those surface coal mining and reclamation operations incident to the extraction of coal from the earth by removing the materials over the coal seam, before recovering the coal, by auger coal mining, or by recovery of coal from a deposit that is not in its original geologic location.

 

"Surface coal mining and reclamation operations" or "mining and reclamation operations" means surface coal mining operations and all activities necessary or incidental to the reclamation of such operations.  This term includes the term "surface coal mining operations".

 

"Surface coal mining operations" or "mining operations" means:

 

Activities conducted on the surface of lands in connection with a surface coal mine or subject to the requirements of section 516 of the Federal Act, surface operations and surface impacts incident to an underground coal mine, the products of which enter commerce, or the operations of which directly or indirectly affect interstate commerce.  These activities include excavation for the purpose of obtaining coal, including such common methods as contour, strip, auger, mountaintop removal, box cut, open pit, and area mining, the uses of explosives and blasting; in situ distillation or retorting; leaching or other chemical or physical processing; and the cleaning, concentrating, or other processing or preparation of coal.  These activities also include the loading of coal for interstate commerce at or near the mine-site, provided, these activities do not include the extraction of coal incidental to the extraction of other minerals, when coal does not exceed 16⅔% of the tonnage of minerals removed for purposes of commercial use or sale, or coal exploration subject to section 512 of the Federal Act; and provided further, that excavation for the purpose of obtaining coal includes extraction of coal from coal refuse piles; and

 

The areas upon which the activities described in the first paragraph of this definition occur or where those activities disturb the natural land surface.  These areas shall also include any adjacent land the use of which is incidental to these activities, all lands affected by the construction of new roads or the improvement or use of existing roads to gain access to the site of those activities and for haulage and excavation, workings, impoundments, dams, ventilation shafts, entryways, refuse banks, dumps, stockpiles, overburden piles, spoil banks, culm banks, tailings, holes or depressions, repair areas, storage areas, processing areas, shipping areas, and other areas upon which are sited structures, facilities, or other property or material on the surface, resulting from or incident to those activities.

 

"Surface mining operations" means activities conducted on the surface of lands in connection with a surface coal mine or surface operations.  Such activities include excavation for the purpose of obtaining coal including such common methods as contour, strip, auger, mountaintop removal, box cut, open pit, and area mining, coal recovery from coal waste disposal areas, the use of explosives and blasting, and in situ distillation or retorting, leaching or other chemical or physical processing, and the cleaning, concentrating, or other processing or preparation, loading of coal at or near the mine site; and the areas on which such activities occur or where such activities disturb the natural land surface.  Such areas include any adjacent land the use of which is incidental to any such activities, all lands affected by the construction of new roads or the improvement or use of existing roads to gain access to the site of such activities and for haulage, and excavations, workings, impoundments, dams, refuse banks, dumps, stockpiles, overburden piles, spoil banks, culm banks, tailings, holes or depressions, repair areas, storage areas, processing areas, shipping areas and other areas upon which are sited structures, facilities, or other property or materials on the surface, resulting from or incident to such activities. (Section 1.03(a)(24) of the State Act)

 

"Suspended solids" or nonfilterable residue, expressed as milligrams per liter, means any materials carried or held in suspension in water that are retained by a standard glass fiber filter in the procedure outlined by the Environmental Protection Agency's regulations for waste water and analyses (40 CFR 136) (May 18, 2012).

 

"Temporary diversion" means a diversion of a stream or overland flow that is used during coal exploration or surface coal mining and reclamation operations and that the Department has not approved to remain after reclamation.

 

"Temporary impoundment" means an impoundment used during coal exploration or surface coal mining and reclamation operations and that the Department has not approved to remain after reclamation.

 

"Ton" means 2000 pounds avoirdupois (.90718 metric ton).

 

"Topsoil" means the A and E soil horizon layers of the four master soil horizons.

 

"Toxic-forming materials" means earth materials or wastes that, if acted upon by air, water, weathering, or microbiological processes, are likely to produce chemical or physical conditions in soils or water that are detrimental to living organisms or uses of water.

 

"Toxic mine drainage" means water that is discharged from active or abandoned mines or other areas affected by coal exploration or surface coal mining and reclamation operations that contains a substance that, through chemical action or physical effects, is likely to kill, injure or impair living organisms commonly present in the area that might be exposed to it.

 

"Transfer, assignment or sale of permit rights" means a change of a permittee.

 

"Underground development waste" means waste rock mixtures resulting from development of areas for underground mining activities.

 

"Underground mining activities" means a combination of:

 

Surface operations incident to underground extraction of coal or in situ processing, such as construction, use, maintenance, and reclamation of roads, above-ground repair areas, storage areas, processing areas, shipping areas, areas upon which are sited support facilities including hoist and ventilating ducts, areas utilized for the disposal and storage of waste, and areas on which materials incident to underground mining operations are placed; and

 

Underground operations such as underground construction, operation, and reclamation of shafts, adits, underground support facilities, in situ processing, and underground mining, hauling, storage, and blasting.

 

"Underground mining operations" means:

 

the underground excavation of coal; and

 

surface operations incident to the underground extraction of coal, such as construction, use, maintenance, and reclamation of roads, above-ground repair areas, storage areas, processing areas, shipping areas, areas on which are sited support facilities including hoist and ventilation ducts, areas used for the storage and disposal of waste, and areas on which materials incident to underground mining operations are placed; and

 

underground operations incident to underground excavation of coal, such as underground construction, operation, and reclamation of shafts, adits, underground support facilities, in situ processing, and underground mining, hauling, storage, or blasting.  (Section 1.03(a)(26) of the State Act)

 

"Unwarranted failure to comply" means the failure of a permittee to prevent the occurrence of any violation of the operator's permit or any requirement of the State Act due to indifference, lack of diligence, or lack of reasonable care, or the failure to abate any violation of such permit of the State due to indifference, lack of diligence, or lack of reasonable care.  (Section 1.03(a)(27) of the State Act)

 

"Valid existing rights". The definition of "valid existing rights" can be found in 62 Ill. Adm. Code 1761.5.

 

"Valley fill" means a fill structure consisting of any material, other than organic material, that is placed in a valley where side slopes of the existing valley, measured at the steepest point, are greater than 20 degrees, or where the average slope of the profile of the valley from the toe of the fill to the top of the fill is greater than 10 degrees.

 

"Violation", when used in the context of the permit application information or permit eligibility requirements of sections 507 and 510(c) of the Federal Act and Section 2.08 of the State Act and related regulations, means:

 

A failure to comply with an applicable provision of a federal or State law or regulation pertaining to air or water environmental protection, as evidenced by a written notification from a governmental entity to the responsible person; or

 

A noncompliance for which the Office has provided one or more of the following types of notice or a State regulatory authority has provided equivalent notice under corresponding provisions of a State regulatory program:

 

A notice of violation under 62 Ill. Adm. Code 1843.12;

 

A cessation order under 62 Ill. Adm. Code 1843.11;

 

A final order, bill or demand letter pertaining to a delinquent civil penalty assessed under 62 Ill. Adm. Code 1845 or 1846;

 

A bill or demand letter pertaining to delinquent reclamation fees owed under 30 CFR 870, effective November 14, 2008 (no incorporation in this Part includes later additions or amendments);

 

A notice of bond forfeiture under 62 Ill. Adm. Code 1800.50 when:

 

One or more violations upon which the forfeiture was based have not been abated or corrected;

 

The amount forfeited and collected is insufficient for full reclamation under Section 1800.50(e)(1), the regulatory authority orders reimbursement for additional reclamation costs, and the person has not complied with the reimbursement order; or

 

The site is covered by self-bonding approved under 62 Ill. Adm. Code 1800.11(e), that self-bonding system requires reimbursement of any reclamation costs incurred above those covered by any site-specific bond, and the person has not complied with the reimbursement requirement and paid any associated penalties.

 

"Violation notice" means any written notification, from a governmental entity, whether by letter, memorandum, judicial or administrative pleading, or other written communication, as specified in the definition of violation in this Appendix.

 

"Water table" means the upper surface of a zone of saturation, where the body of ground water is not confined by an overlying impermeable zone.

 

"Wetland" means land that has a predominance of hydric soils (soils that are usually wet and where there is little or no free oxygen) and that is inundated or saturated by surface or groundwater at a frequency and duration sufficient to support, and that under normal circumstances does support, a prevalence of hydrophytic vegetation (plants typically found in wet habitats) typically adapted for life in saturated soil conditions.  Areas are restored or created as the result of mitigation or planned construction projects and that function as a wetland are included within this definition even when all three wetland parameters are not present.

 

"Willful" or "Willfully" means that a person who authorized, ordered or carried out an act or omission that resulted in either a violation or the failure to abate or correct a violation, acted:

 

Intentionally, voluntarily, or consciously; and

 

With intentional disregard or plain indifference to legal requirements.

 

(Source:  Amended at 43 Ill. Reg. 12860, effective October 16, 2019)