Section 27.21.080. Renewal of permit.

   (a) A permit issued under this chapter includes the right of successive renewal upon expiration, for areas within the boundaries of the permit area. An opponent of renewal of a permit has the burden of proving that the permit should not be renewed.  Subject to (c) of this section, if a permittee applies for renewal of the permit, the commissioner shall renew the permit after public notice is given in the manner provided in AS 27.21.130 unless the commissioner finds, in writing, that
        (1) the terms and conditions of the permit have not been satisfactorily met, and the permittee has not demonstrated to the satisfaction of the commissioner that the permittee is meeting and will continue to meet a schedule set by the commissioner under AS 27.21.240(a) or (b) for correcting a permit violation;
        (2) the surface coal mining and reclamation operation of the permittee is not in compliance with the environmental protection standards of this chapter and regulations adopted under it;
        (3) the requested renewal substantially jeopardizes the permittee's continuing responsibility on existing permit areas;
        (4) the permittee has not either
             (A) provided sufficient evidence that the performance bond under AS 27.21.160 in effect for the operation will continue for the renewal period requested in the application, and that any additional bond required by the commissioner under AS 27.21.160 will be obtained; or
             (B) when seeking to use the statewide bonding pool for mining operations established under AS 27.19.040(b), complied with all requirements of the bonding pool; or
        (5) information required by the commissioner in accordance with this chapter has not been provided by the permittee.
   (b) The commissioner shall provide notice to the appropriate public authorities as provided in AS 38.05.945 before approving a permit renewal.
   (c) If an application for renewal of a permit includes a proposal to extend the permittee's surface coal mining operations to include new land areas beyond the boundaries authorized in the permit, the commissioner shall review the part of the application that addresses the new land areas under the standards established in AS 27.21.180.  However, if the surface coal mining operations authorized by a permit are not subject to the standards contained in AS 27.21.180(c)(5)(A) and (B), the part of the application for renewal that addresses new land areas previously identified in the reclamation plan submitted under AS 27.21.110 is not subject to the standards contained in AS 27.21.180(c)(5)(A) and (B).
   (d) A permit may be renewed for an additional term of five years. The commissioner must receive the application for a permit renewal at least 120 days before the expiration of the permit.
   (e) If a renewal application is received by the commissioner at least 120 days before the expiration date of the permit, and if the permittee has complied with AS 27.21.160, the permittee may continue surface coal mining operations under the permit after the expiration date of the permit until a final administrative decision on renewal is made.

Notes

History

(Sec. 1 ch 29 SLA 1982; am Sec. 2 ch 27 SLA 1996)