Mississippi Department of Environmental Quality; remove the state geologist from certain surface mining provisions.

Summary

The bill changes Mississippi’s environmental code by taking the Office of Geology and Energy Resources (and the state geologist) out of the Department of Environmental Quality’s definition and eliminating the geologist’s statutory role. It shifts many review, assessment, and enforcement duties for surface coal mining and abandoned‑mine reclamation to DEQ staff and the Permit Board, and expands the executive director’s investigative powers. The changes streamline permitting and bond decisions while still requiring consultation with landowners and public notice.

AI-generated summary — may be incomplete or inaccurate. Verify against the official bill text.

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