The county of Alameda recognizes that the extraction of minerals is essential to the continued economic well-being of the county and to the needs of society, and that the reclamation of mined lands is necessary to prevent or minimize adverse effects on the environment and to protect the public health and safety. The county also recognizes that surface mining takes place in diverse areas where the geologic, topographic, climatic, biological, and social conditions are significantly different and that reclamation operations and the specifications therefore may vary accordingly.

    The intent of this chapter is to ensure the continued availability of important mineral resources, while regulating surface mining operations as required by SMARA, Public Resources Code (PRC) Section 2207, and state regulations for surface mining and reclamation practice (California Code of Regulations [CCR], Title 14, Division 2, Chapter 8, subchapter 1, Sections 3500 et seq.), to ensure:

    A.    Prevention or mitigation of adverse effects on the environment, including air pollution, impedance of groundwater movement and water quality degradation, damage to aquatic or wildlife habitat, flooding, erosion, sedimentation effects and excessive noise;

    B.    Progressive reclamation concurrent with mining so that mined lands are returned to a condition adaptable for alternate land uses, with no residual hazards to public health or safety and with land and water resources maintained in a state beneficial to society; and

    C.    Consistency with mineral resource management policies of the general plan. (Ord. 99-60 (part): prior gen. code § 8-111.1)