Section 324.63503 - Definitions; P to U(1) "Permit" means a permit issued by the department to conduct surface coal mining and reclamation operations.(2) "Permit area" means the area of land indicated on the approved map submitted by the operator with the operator's application, which area of land is covered by the operator's bond required by section 63529 and is readily identifiable by appropriate markers on the site.(3) "Permittee" means a person holding a permit to conduct surface coal mining and reclamation operations or underground mining activities pursuant to this part.(4) "Reclamation plan" means a plan submitted by an applicant which provides a plan for reclamation of the proposed surface coal mining operations pursuant to section 63518.(5) "Soil conservation district" means a soil conservation district established and operating pursuant to part 93.(6) "Surface coal mining and reclamation operations" means surface mining operations and all activities necessary and incident to the reclamation of those operations conducted in this state after August 3, 1977.(7) "Surface coal mining operations" means:(a) Activities conducted in this state on the surface of any land in connection with a surface coal mine or subject to the requirements of section 63532 incident to an underground coal mine. 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 and any other areas impacted by the surface coal mining operation mining, 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.(b) The areas on which activities described in subdivision (a) occur or where those activities disturb the natural land surface, including adjacent land the use of which is incidental to those activities; all land 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 excavations, 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 on which are sited structures or facilities; or other property or materials on the surface, resulting from or incident to those activities.(8) "Surface mining control and reclamation act of 1977" means Public Law 95-87, 91 Stat. 445.(9) "Title IV of the surface mining control and reclamation act of 1977" means title IV of Public Law 95-87, 30 U.S.C. 1231 to 1243.(10) "Unwarranted failure to comply" means the failure of a permittee to prevent the occurrence of any violation of his or her permit or any requirement of this part due to indifference, lack of diligence, or lack of reasonable care or the failure to abate any violation of his or her permit or this part due to indifference, lack of diligence, or lack of reasonable care.Add. 1995, Act 57, Imd. Eff. 5/24/1995.