(1) Upon submission of an application for permit, or revision or renewal thereof, as provided by this article, the office shall, within ten days of receipt of said application, review the submission and determine if it is complete. If the application is complete, the applicant shall be duly notified and the application shall be considered filed for the purposes of this article. If the application is incomplete, notice to that effect shall be mailed to the applicant within said ten-day period, and the applicant shall be given the opportunity to amend, revise, or otherwise make said application complete. At the time of submission of an application for a permit, or for renewal or revision of an existing permit, pursuant to the provisions of this article, the applicant shall submit to the office the proposed notice of publication of the ownership, precise location, and boundaries of the land to be affected by the proposed surface coal mining operation.

(2) Upon notification to the applicant that the application for a permit or the application for a permit revision or renewal is complete, the applicant shall place the notice of ownership, precise location, and boundaries of land to be affected by the proposed surface coal mining operation in a local newspaper of general circulation in the locality of said operation. This publication shall be published at least once a week for four consecutive weeks.

(3) On or before the time of first publication, the office shall notify appropriate state and federal agencies and various local government bodies, municipalities, regional planning commissions, boards of county commissioners, county planning agencies, sewage and water treatment authorities, and water conservancy and water conservation districts in the locality in which the proposed surface coal mining operations will take place of the operator's application indicating the application number, a legal description of the land covered by the application, and where a copy of the application may be inspected. These local bodies, agencies, or authorities may submit written comments, within thirty days of the last publication of the above notice, with respect to the effect of the proposed operation on the environment which is within their area of responsibility. Such comments shall be immediately transmitted to the applicant by the office and shall be made available to the public at the same locations as the permit application.

(4) Any person having an interest which is or may be adversely affected by a decision of the office regarding the proposed surface coal mining operation, or the officer or head of any federal, state, or local government agency or authority, shall have the right to submit written objections to or comments upon the initial or revised application for a permit to the office within thirty days after the last publication of the above notice. Such objections and comments shall immediately be transmitted to the applicant by the office and shall be made available to the public, at the same locations as the permit application.

(5) Within sixty days of the filing of an application for a permit, the office shall review said application and notify the applicant of preliminary findings as to the substantive adequacy or inadequacy of the application.

(6) Within thirty days after the last publication of the notice specified in subsection (2) of this section, any person who files objections or comments pursuant to subsection (3) or (4) of this section may also request an informal conference. If an informal conference is requested, the office shall hold an informal conference in the locality of the proposed surface coal mining operation. Notice of the date, time, and location of such informal conference shall be given to the applicant and published by the office in a newspaper of general circulation in the locality of the conference at least two weeks prior to the scheduled conference date. The informal conference shall be held within a reasonable time after close of the comment periods specified under subsections (3) and (4) of this section but no later than thirty days after the close of said periods. The office may arrange with the applicant, upon request by any person who has submitted objections, comments, or a request for an informal conference, access to the proposed mining area for the purpose of gathering information relevant to the proceedings. An electronic or stenographic record shall be made of the informal conference, unless waived by all parties thereto. Such record shall be maintained by the office and shall be accessible to the parties until final release of the applicant's performance bond. In the event that all persons requesting the informal conference stipulate agreement prior to the requested informal conference and withdraw their request, such informal conference need not be held.