Tennessee § 60-1-503 - Part definitions. [See contingent amendment to subdivisions (1) and (9)(D) and the Compiler’s Notes.]

§ 60-1-503. Part definitions. [See contingent amendment to subdivisions (1) and (9)(D) and the Compiler’s Notes.]

As used in this part, unless the context otherwise requires: [Current version. See second version for contingent amendment and Compiler's Notes.] “Board” means the Tennessee board of water quality, oil and gas; [Contingent amendment. See the Compiler's Notes.] “For exploratory purposes” means drilling of mineral test holes for the specific purpose of exploring for mineral resources; “Mineral” means any substance with economic value whether organic or inorganic that can be extracted from the earth, but excluding oil and gas; “Mineral test hole” means any hole in excess of one hundred feet (100') drilled during the exploration for minerals but excludes auger drilling in surficial or otherwise unconsolidated material, drilling in conjunction with mining or quarrying operations, drill holes for the exploration of oil and/or gas, water, structural foundations, and seismic surveys; “Natural brine” means naturally occurring mineralized water other than potable or fresh water; “Operator” means the person, whether owner or not, supervising or responsible for drilling, operating, repairing, abandoning or plugging of mineral test holes subject to this part; “Owner” means the person who has or attains the right to drill, convert or operate any mineral test hole subject to this part; “Person” means any individual, corporation, company, association, joint venture, partnership, receiver, trustee, guardian, executor, administrator, personal representative or private organization of any kind; “Pollution” means such alteration of the physical, chemical, biological, bacteriological, or radiological properties of the waters, soils, animal, fish and aquatic life or surface property of this state as will: Result or will likely result in harm, potential harm, or detriment to the public health, safety, or welfare; Result or will likely result in harm, potential harm, or detriment to the health of animals, birds, fish, or aquatic life; Render or will likely render the waters, soils, animal, fish and aquatic life or surface property substantially less useful for domestic, municipal, industrial, agricultural, recreational, or other reasonable uses; or [Current version. See second version for contingent amendment and Compiler's Notes.] Leave or will likely leave the waters in such condition as to violate any standards of water quality established by the Tennessee board of water quality, oil and gas; and [Contingent amendment. See the Compiler's Notes.] Leave or will likely leave the waters in such condition as to violate any standards of water quality established by the Tennessee board of energy and natural resources, created by § 69-3-104; and “Supervisor” means the commissioner or the commissioner's designee. “Board” means the Tennessee board of energy and natural resources, created by § 69-3-104 ; Acts 1982, ch. 654, § 4; 1992, ch. 693, § 23; 2018, ch. 839, §§ 17, 18. Compiler's Notes. Acts 2012, ch. 986, § 29 substituted “Tennessee board of water quality, oil, and gas” for “oil and gas board”. The former water quality control board, formerly referred to in this section, was terminated by Acts 2012, ch. 986, § 26, and its responsibilities were transferred to the Tennessee board of water quality, oil, and gas, created by § 69-3-104 . Acts 2018, ch. 839, § 44 provided that the governor shall take all action necessary to prepare and submit for approval all necessary requests for federal grant funding and applications for authorization to the appropriate federal authority to obtain exclusive jurisdiction over surface coal mining and reclamation operations and the maximum federal money available for those purposes in an expeditious manner. Acts 2018, ch. 839, § 45 provided that the commissioner of environment and conservation shall notify the secretary of state and the executive secretary of the Tennessee code commission of the date this state has been approved to exercise primacy over the regulation of surface coal mining and reclamation operations within its territorial boundaries. Acts 2018, ch. 839, § 47 provided that the act, which amended this section, shall take effect, including for purposes of rulemaking, upon the deposit of federal funds in the Coal Mining Protection Fund. Amendments. The 2018 amendment substituted “board of energy and natural resources, created by § 69-3-104 ” for “board of water quality, oil and gas” in the definition of “board” and in (D) of the definition of “pollution”. See the Compiler’s Notes. Effective Dates. Acts 2018, ch. 839, § 47. [See Compiler's Notes.]