312 IAC 25-1-141 "Substantial legal and financial commitments in a surface coal mining operation" defined

Sec. 141. "Substantial legal and financial commitments in a surface coal mining operation", for purposes of 312 IAC 25-3-3 through 312 IAC 25-3-5, means significant investments that have been made on the basis of a long term coal contract in power plants, railroads, coal handling, preparation, extraction or storage facilities, and other capital-intensive activities. An example is an existing mine not actually producing coal but in a substantial stage of development prior to production. Costs of acquiring the coal in place or of the right to mine it without an existing mine, as described in this example, alone are not sufficient to constitute substantial legal and financial commitments.