Virginia Administrative Code
Title 4 - CONSERVATION AND NATURAL RESOURCES
Agency 25 - DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY
Chapter 130 - COAL SURFACE MINING RECLAMATION REGULATIONS
Part 843 - Enforcement Procedures
Section 4VAC25-130-843.16 - Formal review of citations

(a) A person issued a notice of violation or cessation order under 4VAC25-130-843.11 or 4VAC25-130-843.12, or a person having an interest which is or may be adversely affected by the issuance, modification, vacation, or termination of a notice or order may request review of that action by filing an application for formal review and request for hearing, under § 45.2-1025 of the Act, within 30 days after receiving notice of the action. A person may also request formal review of the decision rendered under 4VAC25-130-843.15, if the request is submitted within 15 days of receipt of the informal public hearing decision.

(b) The filing of an application for review and request for a hearing under this section shall not operate as a stay of any notice or order, or of any modification, termination, or vacation of either.

(c) Hearings under subsection (a) of this section shall be conducted by a hearing officer appointed by the director. Within 30 days after the close of the record, the hearing officer shall issue a written decision affirming, modifying, terminating, or vacating the notice or order. The decision shall be final, subject to the review and reconsideration by the director or his designee provided in subsection (d) of this section.

(d) Within 14 days after the issuance of a decision the permittee, or any person who participated in the hearing and who has an interest which is or may be adversely affected by the hearing officer's decision, may appeal to the director or his designee for review of the record and reconsideration of the hearing officer's decision. The director or his designee may also, on his own motion, with notice to the parties, made within 14 days of the hearing officer's decision, review the record and reconsider the hearing officer's decision. No further evidence will be allowed in connection with such review and reconsideration but the director or his designee may hear further arguments and may also, after considering the record remand any case for further hearing if he considers such action necessary to develop the facts. Within 30 days of the appeal or motion for review and reconsideration, the director or his designee shall complete his review of the hearing officer's decision and issue a final decision thereon.

(e) All requests for hearing before a hearing officer, or appeals for review and reconsideration, made under this section, and all notices of appeal for judicial review of a hearing officer's final decision, or a final decision on review and reconsideration, shall be filed with the Director, Division of Mined Land Repurposing, Department of Energy, 3405 Mountain Empire Road, Big Stone Gap, Virginia 24219.