THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF PENNSYLVANIA

SENATE BILL

INTRODUCED BY D. WHITE, M. WHITE, MUSTO, WAUGH, WARD, EARLL AND ALLOWAY, JANUARY 19, 2010

REFERRED TO ENVIRONMENTAL RESOURCES AND ENERGY, JANUARY 19, 2010  

AN ACT

Amending the act of April 27, 1966 (1st Sp.Sess., P.L.31, No.1),

entitled, as amended, "An act to protect the public health,

welfare and safety by regulating the mining of bituminous

coal; declaring the existence of a public interest in the

support of surface structures; providing a remedy for the

restoration or replacement of water supplies affected by

underground mining; providing a remedy for the restoration or

replacement or compensation for surface structures damaged by

underground mining; providing standards for the prevention of

hazards to human safety and material damage to certain

structures; requiring permits, and in certain circumstances

bonds, for the mining of bituminous coal; providing for the

filing of maps or plans with recorders of deeds; providing

for the giving of notice of mining operations to political

subdivisions and surface landowners of record; requiring mine

inspectors to accompany municipal officers and their agents

on inspection trips; granting powers to public officers and

affected property owners to enforce the act; requiring

grantors to certify as to whether any structures on the lands

conveyed are entitled to support from the underlying coal and

grantees to sign an admission of a warning of the possible

lack of any such right of support; requiring grantors to

provide notice of the existence of voluntary agreements for

the restoration or replacement of water supplies or for the

repair or compensation for structural damage; imposing duties

on the Department of Environmental Resources for the

compilation and analysis of data; and imposing liability for

violation of the act," further providing for fees.

The General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania

hereby enacts as follows:

Section 1.  Section 5(h) of the act of April 27, 1966 (1st

Sp.Sess., P.L.31, No.1), known as The Bituminous Mine Subsidence

and Land Conservation Act, amended October 10, 1980 (P.L.874,

No.156), is amended to read:

Section 5.  Permit; application; map or plan; bond or other

security; filing; general rulemaking authority; prevention of

damage; mine stability; maintenance of use and value of lands.--

* * *

(h)  The department is authorized to charge and collect from

persons in accordance with rules and regulations reasonable

filing fees for applications filed. Such fees may be adjusted

from time to time by regulations promulgated by the

Environmental Quality Board.

Section 2.  This act shall take effect immediately.