Current through Register Vol. 54, No.43, October 26, 2024
Section 86.152 - Bond adjustments(a) The amount of bond required and the terms of the acceptance of the applicant's bond will be adjusted by the Department from time to time as the area requiring bond coverage is increased or decreased, or when the cost of future reclamation changes, or when the projected subsidence damage repair liability changes. The Department may specify periodic times or set a schedule for reevaluating and adjusting the bond amount to fulfill this requirement. This requirement shall only be binding upon the permittee and does not compel a third party, including surety companies, to provide additional bond coverage and does not extend the coverage of a subsidence bond beyond the requirements imposed by sections 5, 5.4, 5.5 and 5.6 of the Bituminous Mine Subsidence and Land Conservation Act.(b) A permittee may request reduction of the required bond amount upon submission of evidence to the Department that warrants a reduction of the bond amount by proving that the permittee's method of operation or other circumstances will reduce the maximum estimated cost to the Department to complete the reclamation, restoration or abatement responsibilities.(c) Bond adjustments which involve unaffected portions of a permit area upon which no reclamation liability has been incurred or permits that have not been activated and upon which no reclamation liability has been incurred, and bond adjustments which are based on revisions of the cost estimates of reclamation, are not subject to the procedures of §§ 86.170-86.172 (relating to scope; procedures for seeking release of bond; and criteria for release of bond), except as provided in § 86.172(b) and (c).(d) The Department will notify the permittee, the surety and any person with a property interest in collateral who has requested the notification, of any proposed adjustment to the bond amount. The Department will also provide the permittee an opportunity for an informal conference on the adjustment.The provisions of this §86.152 adopted December 19, 1980, 10 Pa.B. 4789, effective 7/31/1982, 12 Pa.B. 2382; amended July 30, 1982, 12 Pa.B. 2473, effective 7/31/1982, 12 Pa.B. 2382; amended June 15, 1990, 20 Pa.B. 3383, effective 7/27/1991, 21 Pa.B. 3316; amended November 14, 1997, effective 11/15/1997, 27 Pa.B. 6041; amended November 28, 1997, effective 11/29/1997, 27 Pa.B. 6186; amended October 21, 2005, effective 10/22/2005, 35 Pa.B. 5775.The provisions of this §86.152 amended under the authority of section 7 of The Bituminous Mine Subsidence and Land Conservation Act (52 P.S. § 1406.7); section 5 of The Clean Streams Law (35 P.S. § 691.5); section 4.2 of the Surface Mining Conservation and Reclamation Act (52 P.S. § 1396.4b); section 3.2 of the Coal Refuse Disposal Control Act (52 P.S. § 30.53b); and section 1920-A of The Administrative Code of 1929 (71 P.S. § 510-20).
This section cited in 25 Pa. Code § 86.148 (relating to scope); 25 Pa. Code § 86.151 (relating to period of liability); 25 Pa. Code § 86.161 (relating to phased deposits of collateral); 25 Pa. Code § 86.165 (relating to failure to maintain proper bond); 25 Pa. Code § 87.119a (relating to hydrologic balance: water rights and replacement); and 25 Pa. Code § 88.107a (relating to hydrologic balance: water rights and replacement).