§ 434.11 General definitions.

(a) The term “acid or ferruginous mine drainage” means mine drainage which, before any treatment, either has a pH of less than 6.0 or a total iron concentration equal to or greater than 10 mg/l.

(b) The term “active mining area” means the area, on and beneath land, used or disturbed in activity related to the extraction, removal, or recovery of coal from its natural deposits. This term excludes coal preparation plants, coal preparation plant associated areas and post-mining areas.

(c) The term “alkaline, mine drainage” means mine drainage which, before any treatment, has a pH equal to or greater than 6.0 and total iron concentration of less than 10 mg/l.

(d) The term “bond release” means the time at which the appropriate regulatory authority returns a reclamation or performance bond based upon its determination that reclamation work (including, in the case of underground mines, mine sealing and abandonment procedures) has been satisfactorily completed.

(e) The term “coal preparation plant” means a facility where coal is subjected to cleaning, concentrating, or other processing or preparation in order to separate coal from its impurities and then is loaded for transit to a consuming facility.

(f) The term “coal preparation plant associated areas” means the coal preparation plant yards, immediate access roads, coal refuse piles and coal storage piles and facilities.