Effective - 28 Aug 2015
444.600. Permit — investigation, decision, hearing, court review — appeals. — 1. All applications for a permit shall be filed with the director who shall promptly investigate the application and make a decision within thirty days after the application is received as to whether the permit should be issued or denied. If the director is not satisfied with the information supplied by the applicant, he or she shall recommend denial of the permit. The director shall promptly notify the applicant of this action and at the same time publish a notice of the decision in any newspaper with general circulation in the counties where the land is located, and shall send notice to those persons registered with the director pursuant to section 444.720. The director's decision shall be deemed to be the decision of the director of the department of natural resources and shall be subject to appeal to the administrative hearing commission as provided by sections 621.250 and 640.013.
2. Whenever a strip mine operator permit provided under section 444.540 is issued, denied, suspended, or revoked by the department of natural resources, any aggrieved person, by petition filed with the administrative hearing commission within thirty days of the decision, may appeal such decision as provided by sections 621.250 and 640.013. For purposes of an appeal, the administrative hearing commission may consider, based on competent and substantial scientific evidence on the record, whether an interested party's health, safety, or livelihood will be unduly impaired by the issuance, denial, suspension, or revocation of the permit. The administrative hearing commission may also consider, based on competent and substantial scientific evidence on the record, whether the operator has demonstrated, during the five-year period immediately preceding the date of the permit application, a pattern of noncompliance at other locations in Missouri that suggests a reasonable likelihood of future acts of noncompliance. In determining whether a reasonable likelihood of noncompliance will exist in the future, the administrative hearing commission may look to past acts of noncompliance in Missouri, but only to the extent they suggest a reasonable likelihood of future acts of noncompliance. Such past acts of noncompliance in Missouri, in and of themselves, are an insufficient basis to suggest a reasonable likelihood of future acts of noncompliance. In addition, such past acts shall not be used as a basis to suggest a reasonable likelihood of future acts of noncompliance unless the noncompliance has caused or has the potential to cause a risk to human health or to the environment, or has caused or has potential to cause pollution, or was knowingly committed, or is defined by the United States Environmental Protection Agency as other than minor. If a hearing petitioner demonstrates or the administrative hearing commission finds either present acts of noncompliance or a reasonable likelihood that the permit seeker or the operations of associated persons or corporations in Missouri will be in noncompliance in the future, such a showing will satisfy the noncompliance requirement in this subsection. In addition, such basis must be developed by multiple noncompliances of any environmental law administered by the Missouri department of natural resources at any single facility in Missouri that resulted in harm to the environment or impaired the health, safety, or livelihood of persons outside the facility. For any permit seeker that has not been in business in Missouri for the past five years, the administrative hearing commission may review the record of noncompliance in any state where the applicant has conducted business during the past five years. Once the administrative hearing commission has reviewed the appeal, the administrative hearing commission shall issue a recommended decision to the commission on permit issuance, denial, suspension, or revocation. The commission shall issue its own decision, based on the appeal, for permit issuance, denial, suspension, or revocation. If the commission changes a finding of fact or conclusion of law made by the administrative hearing commission, or modifies or vacates the decision recommended by the administrative hearing commission, it shall issue its own decision, which shall include findings of fact and conclusions of law. The commission shall mail copies of its final decision to the parties to the appeal or their counsel of record. The commission's decision shall be subject to judicial review pursuant to chapter 536, except that the court of appeals district with territorial jurisdiction coextensive with the county where the mine is located or is to be located shall have original jurisdiction. No judicial review shall be available until and unless all administrative remedies are exhausted.
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(L. 1971 S.B. 1 § 13, A.L. 2015 H.B. 92)
Structure Missouri Revised Statutes
Title XXIX - Ownership and Conveyance of Property
Chapter 444 - Rights and Duties of Miners and Mine Owners
Section 444.020 - Failure to post statement of conditions, effect — rights of miners.
Section 444.030 - Tender of payment.
Section 444.040 - Notice to owner or lessee.
Section 444.050 - Ownership of ore.
Section 444.060 - Injunction or restraining order — how granted.
Section 444.070 - Mining extending to adjoining lands, how determined.
Section 444.080 - Order to be read.
Section 444.090 - Refusal to permit survey — penalty.
Section 444.100 - Provisions for mining coal in certain cities.
Section 444.110 - Notice of intention to mine — publication required.
Section 444.120 - Permit from mayor and council — petition to circuit court.
Section 444.130 - Court to authorize mining operations, when — period of time specified.
Section 444.140 - Form of bond required.
Section 444.150 - Written permission of owner required — violation — provisions for payment of fine.
Section 444.160 - Costs, paid by whom.
Section 444.180 - Certain sections apply only to coal mining companies.
Section 444.320 - Mining under public highways and railroads prohibited.
Section 444.330 - Penalty for violation of section 444.320.
Section 444.350 - Citation of law.
Section 444.352 - Definitions.
Section 444.355 - Director, powers.
Section 444.358 - Permit required, when.
Section 444.360 - Application for permit, contents.
Section 444.362 - Closure plan, purposes, contents, review of.
Section 444.365 - Inspection — maintenance plan, purposes, contents, review of.
Section 444.372 - Permits, final approval by director — denial of permit, procedures.
Section 444.377 - Hearings, procedures.
Section 444.380 - Rules, authority, promulgation, procedure.
Section 444.410 - Members, interstate mining commission — appointment — compensation.
Section 444.500 - Citation of law.
Section 444.510 - Definitions.
Section 444.530 - Powers of commission — rules, procedure.
Section 444.540 - Annual strip mining permit required, fee, renewal.
Section 444.550 - Application for permit, contents.
Section 444.560 - Reclamation plan required, contents.
Section 444.570 - Bond, amount — commission may waive.
Section 444.580 - Annual permit, how amended.
Section 444.590 - Successor operator, assumption of liability — first operator released, when.
Section 444.600 - Permit — investigation, decision, hearing, court review — appeals.
Section 444.610 - Reclamation and care requirements.
Section 444.620 - Time limits on reclamation practices.
Section 444.630 - Report, when required, contents.
Section 444.640 - Commission to investigate all reports — release from bond, when.
Section 444.650 - Application for release from bond — objection, effect of — appeal.
Section 444.660 - Additional time, granted when.
Section 444.670 - Commission may inspect and search — warrant, where obtained.
Section 444.680 - Injunction, when — violation, procedure — hearing.
Section 444.690 - Testimony at hearing, how recorded — available, when.
Section 444.700 - Judicial review, when — additional evidence authorized.
Section 444.710 - Injunction and forfeiture of bond, when — attorney general to act.
Section 444.720 - Rules and regulations, when effective — notice, hearing — variances authorized.
Section 444.730 - Mined land reclamation fund created — purpose.
Section 444.740 - Commission authorized to receive funds and services.
Section 444.750 - Recreational use of reclaimed lands encouraged.
Section 444.755 - Repeal of existing law not intended.
Section 444.760 - Short title.
Section 444.762 - Declaration of policy.
Section 444.765 - Definitions.
Section 444.766 - Exceptions to land reclamation act provisions.
Section 444.767 - Powers of commission — rules, procedure, review.
Section 444.770 - Permit required, when — release of certain bonds — complaints, requirements.
Section 444.771 - Limitation on permits near an accredited school.
Section 444.774 - Reclamation requirements and conditions.
Section 444.775 - Release of bond, conditions — petition, hearing — administrative review.
Section 444.777 - Entry upon lands and inspection by commission members — warrants to issue.
Section 444.778 - Bond — form — amount — duration — forfeiture — power of reclamation.
Section 444.786 - Operation without permit prohibited, penalty.
Section 444.788 - Civil action.
Section 444.789 - Administrative procedure — inapplicability to public meetings.
Section 444.805 - Definitions.
Section 444.810 - Powers of commission — abandoned mine reclamation fund created, purpose.
Section 444.825 - Reclamation plan contents — confidential items.
Section 444.870 - Penalties, administrative and criminal, procedure.
Section 444.875 - Release of all or part of performance bond, procedure — objections may be filed.
Section 444.885 - Cessation orders — suspension or revocation of permits — injunctive relief.
Section 444.900 - Judicial review.
Section 444.905 - Severability — rights retained — replacement of water — explosives regulations.
Section 444.915 - Abandoned mine reclamation fund — deposits and expenditures.
Section 444.920 - Abandoned mine reclamation fund, commission's duties and powers.
Section 444.935 - Public health hazards — actions to abate, procedure.
Section 444.955 - Revegetation of mined land, responsibility transfer, approval required.
Section 444.960 - Fund, coal mine land reclamation, established, purpose, duties.
Section 444.970 - Penalty — delinquency or failure to comply with assessment or reclamation plan.