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Fees Associated With Mining Activities

This page was last updated on October 12, 2023.

Fees

The applicant must include an application fee (total of all individual fees as applicable) via check payable to “Commonwealth of Pennsylvania” with the application. In addition, the operator must have and maintain an appropriate mining license. When a mining permit is issued, yearly administrative fees must be submitted corresponding to the number and type of permits held by a licensed operator. Fees are nonreturnable and are directly used to fund the program costs for permit review and inspections.

Select the links below for current fee tables corresponding to the type of operation:

Coal Mining

Applications

Anthracite

Bituminous, Surface

Bituminous, Underground, Prep Plant, Coal Refuse Disposal

Government Financed Construction Contracts

Administrative fees

Noncoal Mining

Applications

Administrative fees

Additional Activity Associated With Mining Permits

A mining permit requires additional authorizations concurrent with the mining application. For example, all operators require a mining license, and permits 1 acre or greater must have an associated NPDES permit (individual or general). Water obstructions, or general permit requests can be submitted with the mining applications.

Associated authorizations

Operation and Maintenance (O&M) Water Supplies

April 2023 rates: Inflation rate is 3.19% and Rate of return is 2.41%

Use Technical Guidance 562-4000-102, Increased Operation and Maintenance Costs of Replacement Water Supplies to complete the calculations.

Bond Rates

The permittee is required to post a reclamation bond prior to permit issuance and periodically in response to operation or bond rate updates. Bond rates are published every year in the PA Bulletin for Coal and Noncoal Operations. Operators are notified when bonds need to be submitted. Select the links below to see the current bond rate guidelines. Contact the District Mining Office that reviews your application to discuss bonding details for any site. Go to the Bonding page.

Questions on fees and bond rates can be directed to the appropriate District Mining Office or email RA-EPminingpermits@pa.gov

Anthracite Coal Mining Application Fees

New Applications
Surface Mining Permit$3,250
Coal Refuse Reprocessing Permit$1,900
Coal Refuse Disposal Permit$3,250
Coal Preparation Plant Permit$1,650
Underground Mining Permit$1,650
Post Mining Activity Permit$300
Incidental Extraction Permit$1,650
Revisions and Renewal
Major Revisions (All Types)$300
Transfer (All Types)$250
Renewal$250
Bond Liability Revision$100

Bituminous Coal Surface Mining Application Fees

New Applications
Surface Mining Permit$3,250
Coal Refuse Reprocessing Permit$1,900
Coal Refuse Disposal Permit$3,250
Coal Preparation Plant Permit$1,650
Post Mining Activity Permit$300
Incidental Extraction Permit$1,650
Auger Safety Permit$200
Revisions and Renewal
Major Revision to Surface Mining Permit$300
Major Revision to Coal Refuse Reprocessing Permit$300
Transfer$250
Renewal$250
Bond Liability Revision$100

Bituminous Coal Underground/CRDA/Prep Plant Application Fees

New Applications
Bituminous Coal Underground Mining Permit$5,750
Bituminous Coal Refuse Disposal Permit$3,250
Bituminous Coal Preparation Plant Permit$1,650
Post Mining Activity Permit$300
Incidental Extraction Permit$1,650
Auger Safety Permit$200
Revisions and Renewal
Revision to Bituminous Coal Underground Mining Permit$1,250
Revision to Bituminous Coal Refuse Disposal Permit$1,250
Revision to Bituminous Coal Preparation Plant Permit$1,250
Transfer$250
Renewal$250
Bond Liability Revision$100

Government-Financed Construction Contract Fees

GFCC Review

$4,500

Small (Short-Term) Refuse Removal GFCC Review

$4,000
Monitoring FeeNumber of Months ___ X $185
Final Inspection$225
Small Projects, as Defined in 25 PA Code §105.1 (Each)$100

Coal Mining Administrative Fees

Reclamation Fee (Effective 1/1/2020)$100 per acre

Beneficial Use of Coal Ash

Permit Filing Fee - Active Coal Ash Placement$2000 per year
Permit Filing Fee - Final Placement to Bond Release$1000 per year

Noncoal Mining Application Fees

New Applications
Surface with Groundwater Pumping$25,525
Surface without Groundwater Pumping$17,025
Underground Permit $25,525
Bonding Increment$550
Completion Report$750
Blast Plan$675
Notice of Intent to Explore$75
Pre-Application (Large and Underground)$4,250
Revisions
Major Revision (site with groundwater pumping)$4,850
Major Revision (site without groundwater pumping)$2,000
Major Revision Underground$3,350
Minor Amendment$900
Transfer$1,125
Renewal$200
Small Applications and General Permits
New Small Permit$675
Minor Amendment$225
General Permit for Short Term Construction Projects: GP-103$725
General Permit for Bluestone (5 Acres or Less) Mining: GP-105$550
General Permit for Reclamation of Forfeited Noncoal Mines: GP-106$725

Noncoal Administrative Fees

Annual Administrative Fees
Active Large Noncoal Surface Mining Permit$1,500
Active Large Noncoal Surface Mining Permit with Blasting$1,925
Active Small Noncoal Surface Mining Permit$450
Active Small Noncoal Surface Mining Permit with Blasting$625
Active Underground Noncoal Mining Permit$1,500
General Permit$450
Not Started Noncoal Mining Permits$150
Inactive Noncoal Mining Permits$150

Additional Activities Associated With Mining

NPDES
Individual NPDES Permit Associated with Mining Activities$1,000
Reissuance of Individual NPDES Permit Associated with Mining Activities (Revision, Renewal, Transfer)$500
GP-104 Stormwater Associated with Mining Activities$250
Air Quality
BAQ-GPA/GP-12$1,000