(a) Under section 521(c) of the Act, we, the regulatory authority, may request the Attorney General to institute a civil action for relief whenever you, the permittee, or your agent—

(1) Violate or fail or refuse to comply with any order or decision that we issue under the Act or regulatory program;

(2) Interfere with, hinder, or delay us in carrying out the provisions of the Act or its implementing regulations;

(3) Refuse to admit our authorized representatives onto the site of a surface coal mining and reclamation operation;

(4) Refuse to allow our authorized representatives to inspect a surface coal mining and reclamation operation;

(5) Refuse to furnish any information or report that we request under the Act or regulatory program; or

(6) Refuse to allow access to, or copying of, those records that we determine necessary to carry out the provisions of the Act and its implementing regulations.

(b) A civil action for relief includes a permanent or temporary injunction, restraining order, or any other appropriate order by a district court of the United States for the district in which the surface coal mining and reclamation operation is located or in which you have your principal office.

(c) Temporary restraining orders will be issued in accordance with Rule 65 of the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure, as amended.

(d) Any relief the court grants to enforce an order under paragraph (b) of this section will continue in effect until completion or final termination of all proceedings for review of that order under the Act or its implementing regulations unless, beforehand, the district court granting the relief sets aside or modifies the order.

[65 FR 79671, Dec. 19, 2000, as amended at 72 FR 68031, Dec. 3, 2007]