Rule 1501:13-9-02 | Casing and sealing of drilled holes.
(A) General requirements. Each exploration hole, other drill or borehole, shaft, well, or other exposed mine opening shall be cased, sealed, or otherwise managed, as approved by the chief, to prevent acid or other toxic drainage from entering ground or surface waters, to minimize disturbance to the prevailing hydrologic balance, and to ensure the safety of people, livestock, fish and wildlife, and machinery in the permit and adjacent areas. If these openings are uncovered or exposed by coal mining activities within the permit area, they shall be permanently closed, unless approved for water monitoring, or otherwise managed in a manner approved by the chief. Use of a drilled and cased hole or borehole or monitoring well as a water well must meet the provisions of rule 1501:13-9-04 of the Administrative Code. This rule does not apply to holes solely drilled and used for blasting.
(B) Temporary sealing of drilled holes.
(1) For all coal mining operations, each exploration hole, other drill or boreholes, wells, and other exposed openings which have been identified in the approved permit application for use to return coal processing waste or water to underground workings, or to be used to monitor ground water conditions, shall be temporarily sealed before use and protected during use by barricades, fences, or other protective devices approved by the chief. These devices shall be periodically inspected and maintained in good operating condition by the person who conducts the coal mining activities.
(2) For underground mining operations only, each mine entry which is temporarily inactive, but has a further projected useful service under the approved permit application, shall be protected by barricades or other covering devices, fenced, and posted with signs, to prevent access into the entry and to identify the hazardous nature of the opening. These devices shall be periodically inspected and maintained in good condition by the person who conducts the underground mining activities.
(C) Permanent sealing of drilled holes. When no longer needed for monitoring or other use approved by the chief, upon a finding by the chief of no adverse environmental or health and safety effect, or unless approved for transfer as a water well under rule 1501:13-9-04 of the Administrative Code, each exploration hole, other drilled hole or borehole, well, and other exposed opening, and for underground mining operations each shaft, drift, adit, tunnel, exploratory hole, entryway or other opening to the surface from underground, shall be capped, sealed, backfilled, or otherwise properly managed, as required by the chief under paragraph (A) of this rule. Permanent closure measures shall be designed to prevent access to the mine workings by people, livestock, fish and wildlife, and machinery, and to keep acid or other toxic drainage from entering ground or surface waters.
Last updated February 27, 2023 at 9:57 AM
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