Remining Financial Guarantee Program; Increase to Financial Guarantee Special Account [36 Pa.B. 771] The Remining Financial Guarantee Program (program), authorized by the Surface Mining Conservation and Reclamation Act (52 P. S. §§ 1396.1--1396.19a) and the regulations promulgated in 25 Pa. Code Chapter 86 (relating to surface and underground coal mining: general), provides low cost bonds to qualified operators who are willing to reclaim abandoned mine lands immediately adjacent to their active mining operations. An operator is limited to a maximum financial guarantee value of 30% of the amount allocated in the Financial Guarantee Special Account (special account) while each permit site is limited to a maximum financial guarantee value of 10%. The special account was initially funded in 1996 with $800,000, resulting in limits of $240,000 per operator and $80,000 per permit.
Since the inception of the program in 1996, Commonwealth coal mine operators have reclaimed 2,117 acres of abandoned mine land, saving the Commonwealth approximately $12.702 million in reclamation costs. Over 100 Commonwealth mining companies have used the remining incentives provided by the program, indicating that more abandoned mine land could be reclaimed at no cost to the Commonwealth if the maximum financial guarantee limits were raised.
On January 17, 2006, the Department of Environmental Protection (Department) increased the special account allocation to $1 million due to the success of the program, thereby affecting the maximum bond available to each operator and each permit site. By allocating an additional $200,000 to the special account, the maximum limits for the program are amended to $300,000 per operator and $100,000 per permit, effective January 17, 2006.
For more information on remining financial guarantees, contact the Bureau of Mining and Reclamation, Division of Monitoring and Compliance, P. O. Box 8461, Harrisburg, PA 17105-8461, (717) 787-5103 or visit the Department's website at www.depweb.state.pa.us (DEP Keywords: Mining and Reclamation; then choose ''Programs,'' ''Remining Incentives'').
KATHLEEN A. MCGINTY,
Secretary[Pa.B. Doc. No. 06-234. Filed for public inspection February 10, 2006, 9:00 a.m.]
