(a) Prior to expanding or otherwise altering quarrying operations beyond the activities authorized under an existing quarry permit, a permittee shall obtain approval for modification from the director. The application shall be in writing on forms provided by the division, or the application may be submitted electronically. Applicants shall verify electronic submissions by signed affidavit. Information that remains unchanged from the initial application is not required to be resubmitted. A permit may be modified in any manner, so long as the director determines that the modification fully meets the requirements of all applicable federal and state law, regulations and rules, and that the modifications would be consistent with the issuance of the original permit.

(b) No modification of a permit which has been approved by the director becomes effective until any required changes have been made in the performance bond or other security posted under the provisions of sections twenty or twenty-two of this article to assure the performance of obligations assumed by the permittee under the permit and the quarrying and reclamation plan.

(c) A minor permit modification is one in which the proposed modification would not cause a significant departure from the terms and conditions of the existing permit and would not result in a significant impact to the environment or to nearby property.

(d) An application for a minor permit modification shall require information related to the modification, any impact it may have on the original permit area and adjacent property, quarrying and reclamation plans, and any other information deemed necessary by the director. An application for a minor permit modification requires public notice, but does not require a public hearing.

(e) Any application for a permit modification that is not a minor permit modification is a major permit modification. An application for a major permit modification must meet the same requirements as for a new permit application. Modification of a buffer zone of a quarry operation is always a major modification.

(f) The director shall act upon the application for a permit modification pursuant to the provisions of subsection (a) of section six of this article.

(g) The director may deny the application for a permit modification for the reasons and under the stated procedure as for new permits set forth in sections seven and eight of this article.