§ 30:914 — Decisions of commissioner and appeals

A. If an informal conference has been held pursuant to Section 913B, the commissioner shall, within sixty days after such conference, issue and furnish the applicant for a permit and persons who are parties to the administrative proceedings with the written finding of the commissioner granting or denying the permit in whole or in part and stating the reasons therefor.
B. If there has been no informal conference held pursuant to Section 913B, the commissioner shall notify the applicant for a permit within a reasonable time as determined by the commissioner and set forth in regulations, taking into account the time needed for proper investigation of the site, the complexity of the permit application, and whether or not written objection to the application has been filed, but not later than sixty days after the last publication of the notice required in Section 913A, whether the application has been approved or disapproved in whole or in part.
C. If the application is approved, the permit shall be issued. If the application is disapproved, specific reasons therefor must be set forth in the notification. Within thirty days after the applicant is notified of the final decision of the commissioner on the permit application, the applicant or any person with an interest which is or may be adversely affected may request a hearing before the commissioner on the reasons for the final determination. The commissioner or his representative shall hold a hearing within thirty days of such request and provide notification to all interested parties at the time that the applicant is so notified. Such hearing shall be of record and adjudicatory in nature, and no person who presided at a conference under Section 913B shall either preside at the hearing or participate in the decision thereon or in any administrative appeal therefrom. Within thirty days after the hearing the commissioner shall issue and furnish the applicant, and all persons who participated in the hearing, with the written decision of the commissioner granting or denying the permit in whole or in part and stating the reasons therefor.
D. Where a hearing is requested pursuant to Subsection C, the commissioner may, under such conditions as he may prescribe, grant such temporary relief as he deems appropriate pending final determination of the proceedings if:
(1) All parties to the proceedings have been notified and given an opportunity to be heard on a request for temporary relief.
(2) The person requesting such relief shows that there is a substantial likelihood that he will prevail on the merits of the final determination of the proceeding, and
(3) Such relief will not adversely affect the public health or safety or cause significant imminent environmental harm to land, air, or water resources.
E. For the purpose of such hearing, the commissioner or his representative may administer oaths, subpoena witnesses or written or printed materials, compel attendance of the witnesses or production of the materials and take evidence including but not limited to site inspections of the land to be affected and other surface coal mining operations carried on by the applicant in the general vicinity of the proposed operation. A verbatim record of each public hearing required by this Chapter shall be made, and a transcript made available on the motion of any party or by order of the commissioner.
F. Any applicant or any person with an interest which is or may be adversely affected who has participated in the administrative proceedings as an objector, and who is aggrieved by the decision of the commissioner, or if the commissioner fails to act within the time limits specified in this Chapter, shall have the right to appeal in accordance with Section 926.

Legislative History

Acts 1978, No. 406, §1.