No person shall:

(A)

(1) Engage in surface mining without a permit;

(2) Engage in in-stream mining or conduct an in-stream mining operation without an in-stream mining permit issued by the chief of the division of mineral resources management. A person who, on March 15, 2002, holds a valid permit to conduct in-stream mining that is issued under section 10 of the "Rivers and Harbors Appropriation Act of 1899," 30 Stat. 1151, 33 U.S.C. 403, as amended, shall not be required to obtain an in-stream mining permit from the chief under this chapter until the existing permit expires.

(B) Exceed the limits of a surface or in-stream mining permit or amendment to a permit by mining land contiguous to an area of land affected under a permit or amendment, which contiguous land is not under a permit or amendment;

(C) Purposely misrepresent or omit any material fact in an application for a surface or in-stream mining permit or amendment, an annual or final report, or any hearing or investigation conducted by the chief or the reclamation commission;

(D) Fail to perform any measure set forth in the approved plan of mining and reclamation that is necessary to prevent damage to adjoining property or to achieve a performance standard required in division (A)(10) of section 1514.02 of the Revised Code, or violate any other requirement of this chapter, a rule adopted thereunder, or an order of the chief;

(E) Conduct surface excavations of minerals within any of the following:

(1) One hundred twenty feet horizontal distance outward from the highwater mark on each bank of an area designated as a wild, scenic, or recreational river area under sections 1547.81 to 1547.86 of the Revised Code or of a portion of a river designated as a component of the national wild and scenic river system under the "Wild and Scenic Rivers Act," 82 Stat. 906 (1968), 16 U.S.C. 1274, as amended;

(2) Seventy-five feet horizontal distance outward from the highwater mark on each bank of a watercourse that drains a surface area of more than one hundred square miles;

(3) Fifty feet horizontal distance outward from the highwater mark on each bank of a watercourse that drains a surface area of more than twenty-five square miles, but fewer than one hundred square miles unless a variance is obtained under rules adopted by the chief.

(F) Conduct any surface mining activity within any of the following:

(1) Seventy-five feet horizontal distance outward from the highwater mark on each bank of an area designated as a wild, scenic, or recreational river area under sections 1547.81 to 1547.86 of the Revised Code or of a portion of a river designated as a component of the national wild and scenic river system under the "Wild and Scenic Rivers Act," 82 Stat. 906 (1968), 16 U.S.C. 1274, as amended;

(2) Seventy-five feet horizontal distance outward from the highwater mark on each bank of a watercourse that drains a surface area of more than one hundred square miles;

(3) Fifty feet horizontal distance outward from the highwater mark on each bank of a watercourse that drains a surface area of more than twenty-five square miles, but fewer than one hundred square miles unless a variance is obtained under rules adopted by the chief.

A person who has been issued a surface mining permit prior to March 15, 2002 may continue to operate under that permit and shall not be subject to the prohibitions established in divisions (E) and (F) of this section until the permit is renewed.

The number of square miles of surface area that a watercourse drains shall be determined by consulting the "gazetteer of Ohio streams," which is a portion of the Ohio water plan inventory published in 1960 by the division of water in the department of natural resources, or its successor, if any.

(G) Engage in any part of a process that is followed in the production of minerals from the bottom of the channel of a watercourse in any of the following circumstances or areas:

(1) In an area designated as a wild, scenic, or recreational river area under sections 1547.81 to 1547.86 of the Revised Code, in a portion of a river designated as a component of the national wild and scenic river system under the "Wild and Scenic Rivers Act," 82 Stat. 906 (1968), 16 U.S.C. 1274, as amended, or within one-half mile upstream of any portion of such an area or component;

(2) During periods other than periods of low flow, as determined by rules adopted under section 1514.08 of the Revised Code;

(3) During critical fish or mussel spawning seasons as determined by the chief of the division of wildlife under Chapter 1531. of the Revised Code and rules adopted under it;

(4) In an area known to possess critical spawning habitat for a species of fish or mussel that is on the federal endangered species list established in accordance with the "Endangered Species Act of 1973," 87 Stat. 884, 16 U.S.C. 1531-1543, as amended, or the state endangered species list established in rules adopted under section 1531.25 of the Revised Code.

Division (G) of this section does not apply to the activities described in divisions (M)(1) and (2) of section 1514.01 of the Revised Code.

Amended by 132nd General Assembly File No. TBD, HB 49, §101.01, eff. 9/29/2017.

Amended by 131st General Assembly File No. TBD, SB 293, §1, eff. 9/14/2016.

Amended by 128th General AssemblyFile No.9, HB 1, §101.01, eff. 7/17/2009.

Effective Date: 03-15-2002 .