(1) Before engaging in a new operation, an operator shall first obtain from the board or office a reclamation permit pursuant to section 34-32.5-110, 34-32.5-111, or 34-32.5-112. Notwithstanding this subsection (1), an operator who obtained a permit under section 34-32-110, 34-32-111, or 34-32-112 before July 1, 1995, which permit was valid as of such date, shall continue to operate under such permit, and such permit shall be deemed to be a permit issued under the provisions of this article.

(2) (a) A reclamation permit shall be effective for the life of the stated operation if the operator complies with the conditions of such reclamation permit, this article, and rules promulgated pursuant to this article that are in effect at the time the permit is issued or amended, except as otherwise provided in paragraph (b) of this subsection (2). Nothing in this article shall be construed to abrogate the duty of the operator to comply with other applicable statutes and rules.

(b)

(I) This paragraph (b) shall apply to new statutory or regulatory requirements only and shall not serve to reopen the entire permit for technical review or for modification of the postmining land use.

(II) The board may, where good cause is shown, determine that certain regulations not in effect at the time a permit is given should be applicable to such existing permits or to any specified class or category of existing permits, if:

(A) The board or office provides individual notice of the subject matter of the proposed rule in such manner as the board may require and the time, date, and place of the rule-making hearing to operators with existing permits who may be affected by such rule;

(B) The board finds during the rule-making hearing that a failure to apply such proposed rule to existing permits or to an affected class or category of existing permits would pose a reasonable potential for danger to persons or property or the environment; and

(C) The board sets a schedule for existing permit-holding operators to comply with that is reasonable in light of the gravity of the risk to be avoided, any technical considerations, the cost of compliance, and any other relevant factors.

(III) If the board makes a good faith effort to comply with the requirements of sub-subparagraph (B) of subparagraph (II) of this paragraph (b) and complies with the applicable provisions of article 4 of title 24, C.R.S., the adopted rule shall not be deemed invalid on the ground that notice to the affected parties was inadequate.

(3) No governmental office of the state, other than the board, nor any political subdivision of the state shall have the authority to issue a reclamation permit pursuant to this article, to require reclamation standards different than those established in this article, or to require any performance or financial warranty of any kind for mining operations. The operator shall be responsible for assuring that the mining operation and the postmining land use comply with city, town, county, or city and county land use regulations and any master plan for extraction adopted pursuant to section 34-1-304 unless a prior declaration of intent to change or waive the prohibition is obtained by the applicant from the affected political subdivisions. Any mining operator subject to this article shall also be subject to zoning and land use authority and regulation by political subdivisions as provided by law.

(4) Upon receipt of an application for a reclamation permit, the board shall provide notice of such application to all counties in which proposed mining operations are located and to each municipality located within two miles of the area of proposed mining operations.