1. (a) Whenever a landowner or water supply user experiences contamination, diminution or interruption of a water supply which is believed to have occurred as a result of underground mining activities, the landowner or water user shall notify the operator. The operator shall diligently investigate the water loss. This subsection does not apply to water supplies affected by underground mining activities which are governed by Chapter 87 (relating to surface mining of coal).

2. (b) The Department will order the operator to provide temporary water to the landowner or water supply user within 24 hours of issuance of the order if the following apply:

   1. (1) No alternate temporary water supply is available to the landowner or water user.
   2. (2) The water supply is contaminated, diminished or interrupted.
   3. (3) The water supply is located within the rebuttable presumption area.
   4. (4) The landowner notified the operator of the water supply problem.

3. (c) If the affected water supply has not been restored or an alternate water supply has not been provided by the operator or if the operator provides and later discontinues an alternate source, the landowner or water supply user may so notify the Department and request that the Department conduct an investigation in accordance with the following procedure:

   1. (1) Within 10 days of notification, the Department will commence an investigation of landowner’s or water supply user’s claim.
   2. (2) Within 45 days of notification, the Department will make a determination of whether the contamination, diminution or interruption was caused by the operator’s underground mining activities. The Department will notify the affected parties of its determination within 10 days of completing the investigation.
   3. (3) If the Department determines that the operator’s underground mining activities caused the water supply to be contaminated, diminished or interrupted, the Department will issue any orders that are necessary to assure compliance with The Bituminous Mine Subsidence and Land Conservation Act (52 P. S. § § 1406.1—1406.21) and this chapter.

Authority

The provisions of this § 89.146a amended under section 7 of The Bituminous Mine Subsidence and Land Conservation Act (BMSLCA) (52 P. S. § 1406.7); section 5 of The Clean Streams Law (35 P. S. § 691.5); section 4.2 of the Surface Mining Conservation and Reclamation Act (52 P. S. § 1396.4b); section 3.2 of the Coal Refuse Disposal Control Act (52 P. S. § 30.53b); and section 1920-A of The Administrative Code of 1929 (71 P. S. § 510-20).

Editor’s Note: Certain parts of the rulemaking at 35 Pa.B. 5775 are authorized under a Federal action that superseded sections 5.1(b), 5.2(g)—(h), 5.4(a)(3) and (c) and 5.5(b) of the BMSLCA (52 P. S. § § 1406.5a(b), 1406.5b(g)—(h), 1406.5d(a)(3) and (c) and 1406.5e(b)) to the extent these statutory provisions conflicted with the Federal Surface Mining Control and Reclamation Act of 1977 (Federal SMCRA) (30 U.S.C.A. § § 1201—1328). The Federal action effecting these changes was published at 69 FR 71551 (December 9, 2004).

Source

The provisions of this § 89.146a adopted June 12, 1998, effective June 13, 1998, 28 Pa.B. 2761; amended October 21, 2005, effective October 22, 2005, 35 Pa.B. 5775. Immediately preceding text appears at serial pages (313589) to (313590).