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91_HB3558
LRB9111592JMmbA
1 AN ACT to amend the Abandoned Mined Lands and Water
2 Reclamation Act by changing Section 2.11.
3 Be it enacted by the People of the State of Illinois,
4 represented in the General Assembly:
5 Section 5. The Abandoned Mined Lands and Water
6 Reclamation Act is amended by changing Section 2.11 as
7 follows:
8 (20 ILCS 1920/2.11) (from Ch. 96 1/2, par. 8002.11)
9 Sec. 2.11. Non-coal reclamation.
10 (a) It is hereby declared that open and abandoned
11 tunnels, shafts, and entryways and abandoned and
12 deteriorating equipment, structures, and facilities resulting
13 from any previous non-coal mining operations constitute a
14 hazard to the public health and safety. The Department is
15 authorized and empowered to fill or seal such abandoned
16 tunnels, shafts, and entryways and remove equipment,
17 structures, and facilities which it determines could endanger
18 life and property and constitute a hazard to the public
19 health and safety.
20 (b) The Department may make expenditures and carry out
21 the purposes of this Section for lands mined for substances
22 other than coal; provided, however, that annual expenditures
23 for non-coal reclamation do not exceed 2% of the Department's
24 annual budget for mine land reclamation through August 31,
25 1999; and provided further, that all obligations for such
26 expenditures shall be made by August 31, 2001 1999. Except
27 for those non-coal reclamation projects relating to the
28 protection of the public health or safety which shall be
29 accorded a high priority, non-coal reclamation expenditures
30 shall be made only after all reclamation with respect to
31 abandoned coal lands or coal development impacts has been
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1 accomplished.
2 (c) In those instances where coal mine waste piles are
3 being reworked for conservation purposes, the Department may
4 make additional incremental expenditures to dispose of the
5 wastes from such operations by filling voids and sealing
6 tunnels if the disposal of these wastes is in accordance with
7 the purposes of this Section.
8 (d) The Department shall acquire, by purchase, exchange,
9 gifts, condemnation or otherwise, the fee simple title or any
10 lesser interest in and to such land rights or other property
11 as the Department considers necessary to carry out the
12 provisions of this Section. Transfers and dispositions of
13 such land shall be made in the same manner as prescribed by
14 Section 2.07 of this Act.
15 (e) Consistent with this Section, the Department may
16 enter and reclaim abandoned non-coal mined lands in the same
17 manner as prescribed in Section 2.04 of this Act.
18 (Source: P.A. 88-185; 89-445, eff. 2-7-96.)
19 Section 99. Effective date. This Act takes effect upon
20 becoming law.
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