§ 27-996 — Release of financial assurance

A. An owner or operator may apply to the state mine inspector to release all or part of the financial assurance provided under this article. The application shall:

1. Describe the reclamation measures that have been performed.

2. Describe any surface disturbances included in the reclamation plan that have not been disturbed.

3. Contain an estimate of the costs of reclamation measures that have not been performed.

B. Within sixty days after receiving a complete application, the inspector shall release all or part of the financial assurance except for any amount that is necessary to perform the reclamation measures identified in the reclamation plan. After the reclamation measures have been performed, the remaining financial assurance shall be released, except that ten per cent shall be retained for the costs of care, monitoring and one reseeding, if necessary, for areas that have been revegetated. The inspector shall release the retained monies after a period of not more than three growing seasons after the supplemental management or other man-induced inputs have been finally removed or as otherwise provided in section 27-992, subsection B.