(20 ILCS 1915/0.01) (from Ch. 96 1/2, par. 7500) Sec. 0.01. Short title. This Act may be cited as the Surface Coal Mining Fee Act. (Source: P.A. 86-1324.)

(20 ILCS 1915/1) (from Ch. 96 1/2, par. 7501) Sec. 1. Legislative findings and intent. (a) The General Assembly finds that: (1) the purposes of the "Surface Mining Control and

Reclamation Act of 1977" (30 USC 1201 et seq.) include the establishment of a program to protect society and the environment from the adverse effects of surface coal mining operations and from the adverse surface effects of underground coal mining operations;

(2) the purposes of the above Act also include the

promoting of the reclamation of mined areas left without adequate reclamation prior to the enactment of this Act and which continue, in their unreclaimed conditions, to substantially degrade the quality of the environment;

(3) the purposes of the above Act also include the

assurance that the coal supply essential to the Nation's energy requirements, and to its economic and social well-being is provided, and to encourage the full utilization of coal resources.

(b) The General Assembly also finds that: (1) during the mining and preparation of coal, a

portion of the coal is lost in the tailings produced;

(2) this lost coal, in gob or slurry form, can be

recovered in an economic and useable fashion;

(3) the recovery of this coal, which may constitute

twenty percent or more of a gob pile, and which may constitute fifty percent or more of a slurry pond, in effect conserves energy by increasing the efficiency of utilization of a valuable fuel resource;

(4) the recovery of this coal, when conducted in

accordance with the permits required by the Illinois Department of Natural Resources and the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency, contributes to the reclamation of the land, in that the total volume of wastes to be handled is reduced.

(c) It is the purpose of this Act: (1) to include the recovery of coal from gob and

slurry as a part of the land reclamation process and as a form of energy conservation; and

(2) to provide that a portion of the funds collected

by the Office of Surface Mining Reclamation and Enforcement and returned to the State of Illinois be used for coal recovery.

(Source: P.A. 91-357, eff. 7-29-99.)

(20 ILCS 1915/2) (from Ch. 96 1/2, par. 7502) Sec. 2. Legislative directives. (a) The Director of Natural Resources is directed to investigate and pursue all available options at the federal level so as to enable the development of a State program that encompasses the purposes of this Act consistent with federal law. (b) The Director of the Department of Natural Resources is directed to investigate the use of funds provided in the "Small Operator Assistance Grants Program" established by the federal Act for resource recovery purposes as stated in this Act, and to give consideration to resource recovery in the preparation of guidelines to administer the "Small Operator Assistance Grants Program" for the State of Illinois, consistent with federal law. (c) The Department of Natural Resources shall investigate the potential for resource recovery as a partial function of the land reclamation procedure, and shall include such consideration for site reclamation, consistent with federal law. (d) All investigations required in this Section shall be reported to the General Assembly and the Illinois Energy Resources Commission within one year of the effective date of this Act. (Source: P.A. 89-445, eff. 2-7-96.)