ABSTRACT
This chapter is concerned with state bonding requirements for strip mine operators. It is limited in scope to coal mining. The statutory basis for the amount should be the “estimated cost of reclaiming the land to be disturbed and the quality and quantity of coal.” The membership of the board varies from state to state with the one consistency being that the coal mining industry always has at least one representative on the board. The Tennessee Board of Reclamation Review has five members including the Commissioner of Public Health, two representatives of the coal mining industry, and two other members who must have no financial interest in coal mining. The five-member Reclamation Board of Review for the state of West Virginia consists of one representative of the coal mining industry, one forestry expert, one agriculture expert, one engineering expert, and one water conservation expert, all appointed by the governor.
