In order to prevent the adverse effects to society and the environment resulting from unregulated surface mining operations; to ensure that the rights of surface landowners and other persons with a legal interest in the land or appurtenances are protected from such unregulated exploration and surface mining operations; to ensure that surface mining operations are not conducted where reclamation as required by the Texas Railroad Commission is not possible; to ensure that exploration and surface mining operations are so conducted as to prevent unreasonable degradation to land and water resources; to ensure that exploration reclamation and reclamation of all surface-mined lands is accomplished as contemporaneously as practicable with the exploration and surface mining operation, recognizing that the extraction of minerals by responsible mining operations is an essential and beneficial economic activity, these sections are promulgated pursuant to the directive and authority of the Texas Uranium Exploration, Surface Mining, and Reclamation Act, Texas Natural Resources Code, Chapter 131, et seq. (the "Act"), and any amendment to it.

Source Note: The provisions of this §11.71 adopted to be effective March 24, 1976, 1 TexReg 502; amended to be effective October 31, 1980, 5 TexReg 4175; amended to be effective November 1, 2010, 35 TexReg 9724