Washington § 78.44.050 Exclusive authority to regulate reclamation—Department may delegate enforcement authority to counties, cities, towns—Other laws not affected.

Washington Statutes

§ 78.44.050 — Exclusive authority to regulate reclamation—Department may delegate enforcement authority to counties, cities, towns—Other laws not affected.

Washington § 78.44.050

Title 78MINES, MINERALS, AND PETROLEUM

Ch. 78.44SURFACE MINING

This text of Washington § 78.44.050 (Exclusive authority to regulate reclamation—Department may delegate enforcement authority to counties, cities, towns—Other laws not affected.) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Washington primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook

Wash. Rev. Code § 78.44.050 (2026).

Text

The department shall have the exclusive authority to regulate surface mine reclamation. No county, city, or town may require for its review or approval a separate reclamation plan or application. The department may, however, delegate some or all of its enforcement authority by contractual agreement to a county, city, or town that employs personnel who are, in the opinion of the department, qualified to enforce plans approved by the department. All counties, cities, or towns shall have the authority to zone surface mines and adopt ordinances regulating operations as provided in this chapter, except that county, city, or town operations ordinances may be preempted by the department during the emergencies outlined in RCW 78.44.200 and related rules.

This chapter shall not alter or preempt an

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The department shall have the exclusive authority to regulate surface mine reclamation. No county, city, or town may require for its review or approval a separate reclamation plan or application. The department may, however, delegate some or all of its enforcement authority by contractual agreement to a county, city, or town that employs personnel who are, in the opinion of the department, qualified to enforce plans approved by the department. All counties, cities, or towns shall have the authority to zone surface mines and adopt ordinances regulating operations as provided in this chapter, except that county, city, or town operations ordinances may be preempted by the department during the emergencies outlined in RCW 78.44.200 and related rules.

This chapter shall not alter or preempt any provisions of the state water allocation and use laws (chapters 90.03 and 90.44 RCW), the state water pollution control laws (chapter 90.48 RCW), the state fish and wildlife laws (Title 77 RCW), state noise laws or air quality laws (Title 70 [70A] RCW), shoreline management (chapter 90.58 RCW), the state environmental policy act (chapter 43.21C RCW), state growth management (chapter 36.70A RCW), state drinking water laws (chapters 43.20 and 70A.125 RCW), or any other state statutes.

Explanatory statement — 2021 c 65: See note following RCW 53.54.030 .

Captions — Severability — Effective date — 1993 c 518: See notes following RCW 78.44.010 .