The Director is authorized to enter into agreements with owners or lessees of orphaned land when the owners agree to the reclamation of such land by the Division to the extent and in the manner deemed appropriate or reasonable by the Director. The Director shall not return orphaned land to any use other than the minimum potential use of the land that existed prior to the initiation of mining operations unless the landowner or owners, or lessee or lessees, agree to bind themselves to the payment of the additional cost upon terms that the Director deems reasonable. In entering into such agreements, the Director shall be guided by the priorities for reclamation established by him and shall not enter into any such agreement unless funds are immediately available for the performance of the agreement by the Director as provided in this article.
1978, c. 634, § 45.1-197.5; 2021, Sp. Sess. I, c. 387.
Structure Code of Virginia
Title 45.2 - Mines, Minerals, and Energy
Chapter 12 - Permits for Certain Mining Operations; Reclamation of Land
§ 45.2-1201. Construction of chapter
§ 45.2-1202. Authority of Director; enforcement of chapter by injunction
§ 45.2-1203. Exemption for restricted mining
§ 45.2-1206. Operations plan; reclamation; policy of Director
§ 45.2-1207. Special Reclamation Fund
§ 45.2-1209. Review of operations plan and reclamation provision by Director; issuance of permit
§ 45.2-1210. Application for permit; adjoining landowners; local official
§ 45.2-1211. Succession of one operator by another at uncompleted project
§ 45.2-1213. Notice of noncompliance served on operator
§ 45.2-1214. Collection of debts
§ 45.2-1215. Commonwealth to have lien for reclamation work
§ 45.2-1216. Perfection of lien; waiver of lien
§ 45.2-1217. Recordation and indexing of lien; notice
§ 45.2-1219. Hearing to determine amount of lien
§ 45.2-1220. Satisfaction of lien
§ 45.2-1221. Additional bond to cover amended estimate of land to be disturbed
§ 45.2-1222. Interference with reclamation unlawful; other mining operations on land
§ 45.2-1223. Penalty for violation of chapter, etc.
§ 45.2-1224. Assistance of federal, state, and local agencies
§ 45.2-1225. Injunction prohibiting mining operation
§ 45.2-1226. Appeals from decisions of the Department
§ 45.2-1228. Orphaned Lands Reclamation Fund
§ 45.2-1229. Survey; priorities for reclamation
§ 45.2-1230. Agreements with owners or lessees; reclamation by Director
§ 45.2-1231. Contracts for reclamation
§ 45.2-1232. Acceptance of federal funds, gifts, etc.
§ 45.2-1234. Minerals Reclamation Fund
§ 45.2-1235. Membership in Fund; payments required
§ 45.2-1236. Release of bonds and other securities
§ 45.2-1237. Return of member payments
§ 45.2-1238. Revocation of permits; reclamation work
§ 45.2-1239. Collection of debt where cost of reclamation exceeds member's forfeited payments, etc.
§ 45.2-1240. Decreases in size of Fund
§ 45.2-1241. Order of return of payments
§ 45.2-1242. Discontinuance of Fund
§ 45.2-1243. Construction of article; Fund used solely for reclamation