| (a) Underground mining activities shall be planned and conducted so as to prevent subsidence from causing material damage to the surface, to the extent technologically and economically feasible, and so as to maintain the value and reasonably foreseeable use of surface lands. This may be accomplished by leaving adequate coal in place, backfilling, or other measures to support the surface, or by conducting underground mining in a manner that provides for planned and controlled subsidence. Nothing in this chapter (relating to Coal Mining Regulations) shall be construed to prohibit the standard method of room and pillar mining. (b) The person engaged in underground mining activities shall comply with all provisions of the subsidence-control plan prepared pursuant to §12.194 of this title (relating to Subsidence Control Plan) and approved by the Commission. (c) Within a schedule approved by the Commission, the operator shall
submit a detailed plan of the underground workings. The detailed plan shall include maps and descriptions, as appropriate, of significant features of the underground mine, including the size, configuration, and approximate location of pillars and entries, extraction ratios, measures taken to prevent or minimize subsidence and related damage, areas of full extraction, and other information required by the Commission. Upon request of the operator, information submitted with the detailed plan may be held as confidential, in accordance with the requirements of this chapter (relating to Coal Mining Regulations).
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