scope:

General obligations.

(a) Compliance. All surface coal mining and reclamation operations conducted on lands where any element of the operations is regulated by a State shall comply with the initial performance standards of this part according to the time schedule specified in § 710.11. Part 717 of this chapter establishes performance standards for surface effects of underground coal mines. Initial regulations regarding the special Initial Performance Standards are established by part 716 of this chapter for-

(1) Surface coal mining operations on steep slopes;

(2) Surface coal mining operations involving mountaintop removal;

(3) Special bituminous coal mines;

(4) Anthracite surface coal mining operations;

(5) Surface coal mining operations in Alaska; and

(6) Surface coal mining operations on prime farmlands. Where State environmental protection standards are adopted for a specific State because they are more stringent than the standards of parts 715, 716, and 717, they will be published in part 718 of this chapter.