(a) The person who conducts underground mining activities shall close or backfill or otherwise permanently reclaim all affected areas, in accordance with this chapter and according to the permit approved by the regulatory authority.

(b) All surface equipment, structures, or other facilities not required for continued underground mining activities and monitoring, unless approved as suitable for the postmining land use or environmental monitoring, shall be removed and the affected lands reclaimed.

[44 FR 15422, Mar. 13, 1979, as amended at 81 FR 93418, Dec. 20, 2016; 82 FR 54999, Nov. 17, 2017]