A. The state mine inspector shall coordinate the review and approval of reclamation plans with the state land department, the United States bureau of land management, the United States forest service and other agencies that manage public lands on which exploration operations or mining facilities are located, within the respective jurisdictions, through memoranda of agreement or cooperative agreements that designate a lead agency for reclamation plan review and action. This coordination is intended to avoid duplication of efforts to inspect exploration operations and mining facilities and review and enforce reclamation plans. The memoranda of agreement shall also provide that no financial assurance may be required under this article that will duplicate financial assurances required under any other law or agreement.

Terms Used In Arizona Laws 27-932

  • Action: includes any matter or proceeding in a court, civil or criminal. See Arizona Laws 1-215
  • Exploration operations: means activities that create surface disturbances outside a mining facility and that are conducted to determine the presence, location, extent, depth or grade of minerals, including constructing access roads and drill pads. See Arizona Laws 27-901
  • Inspector: means the state mine inspector. See Arizona Laws 27-901
  • Mining unit: means an individual portion of a mining facility that encompasses one or more surface disturbances. See Arizona Laws 27-901
  • Reclamation: means measures that are taken on surface disturbances at exploration operations and mining units to achieve stability and safety consistent with post-mining land use objectives specified in the reclamation plan. See Arizona Laws 27-901
  • United States: includes the District of Columbia and the territories. See Arizona Laws 1-215

B. If an exploration operation or a mining unit is located on land administered by a federal agency, an approved federal reclamation plan and a financial assurance mechanism for the federal land that are consistent with the requirements of this chapter supersede the requirements for a reclamation plan and financial assurance mechanism otherwise required by this chapter.