Effective - 28 Aug 2001
444.778. Bond — form — amount — duration — forfeiture — power of reclamation. — 1. Any bond herein provided to be filed with the commission by the operator shall be in such form as the director prescribes, payable to the state of Missouri, conditioned that the operator shall faithfully perform all requirements of sections 444.760 to 444.790 and comply with all rules of the commission made in accordance with the provisions of sections 444.760 to 444.790. The bond shall be signed by the operator as principal, and by a good and sufficient corporate surety, licensed to do business in this state, as surety. The operator shall file with the commission a bond payable to the state of Missouri with surety in the penal sum of eight thousand dollars for each permit up to eight acres and five hundred dollars for each acre thereafter that is to be mined. In addition, for each acre or portion thereof where topsoil has been removed from the site, an additional bond of four thousand five hundred dollars per acre shall be posted with the commission for each acre or portion thereof which will be revegetated, conditioned upon the faithful performance of the requirements set forth in sections 444.760 to 444.790 and of the rules and regulations of the commission. In lieu of a surety bond, the operator may furnish a bond secured by a personal certificate of deposit or irrevocable letter of credit in an amount equal to that of the required surety bond on conditions as prescribed by the commission. For any operator involved in any gravel mining operation where the annual tonnage of gravel mined by such operator is less than five thousand tons, such operator shall deposit a bond with the commission in the penal sum of five hundred dollars for each acre or portion thereof of land proposed thereafter by the operator to be subjected to surface mining for the mining permit year.
2. The bond shall remain in effect until the mined acreages have been reclaimed, approved and released by the commission. Forfeiture of such bond may be cause for denial of future permit applications.
3. A bond filed as above prescribed shall not be cancelled by the surety except after not less than ninety days' notice to the commission and, in any case, not as to the acreage affected prior to the expiration of the notice period.
4. If the license to do business in this state of any surety upon a bond filed with the commission pursuant to sections 444.760 to 444.790 shall be suspended, revoked, or cancelled, or if the surety should act to cancel the bond, the operator, within sixty days after receiving notice thereof from the commission, shall substitute for such surety a good and sufficient corporate surety licensed to do business in this state or a bond secured by a certificate of deposit. Upon failure of the operator to make substitution of surety as herein provided, the commission shall have the right to suspend the permit of the operator until such substitution has been made.
5. The commission shall give written notice to the operator of any violation of sections 444.760 to 444.790 or noncompliance with any of the rules and regulations promulgated by the commission hereunder and if corrective measures, approved by the commission, are not commenced within ninety days, the commission may proceed as provided in section 444.782 to request forfeiture of the bond.
6. The commission shall have the power to reclaim, in keeping with the provisions of sections 444.760 to 444.790, any affected land with respect to which a bond has been forfeited. The commission and any other agency and any contractor under a contract with the commission shall have reasonable right of access to the land affected to carry out such reclamation. The operator shall also have the right of access to the land affected to carry out such reclamation and shall notify the landowner on lease holdings that such right exists.
7. Whenever an operator shall have completed all requirements pursuant to the provisions of sections 444.760 to 444.790 as to any affected land, he or she shall notify the commission thereof. If the commission determines that the operator has completed the requirements, the commission shall release the operator from further obligations regarding the affected land and the penalty of the bond shall be reduced proportionately.
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(L. 1971 H.B. 519 § 9, A.L. 1990 H.B. 1584, A.L. 1993 H.B. 312 & 257, A.L. 2001 H.B. 453)
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.