Disposition of fees and penalties.

(a) All fees and penalties collected under the provisions of this article shall be deposited in the General Fund of the State Treasury.

(b) All funds received from the forfeiture of bonds, sureties, cash, or governmental securities shall be placed in the State Treasury and credited to a special agency account created and designated as the Surface Mining Reclamation Fund. The department shall, for each bond, surety, or deposit of cash or securities forfeited, utilize the proceeds of the forfeiture for the reclamation of affected lands. The director may establish and carry out a systematic schedule for the reclamation and revegetation of lands which have been affected by strip mining operations and to which there is no obligation on any person to reclaim or revegetate. The department may cause the reclamation work to be done by employees of other governmental agencies or through contracts with qualified vendors. The department and any contractor shall have the right of access to the land affected to carry out the reclamation.

(c) The department may accept and use any funds, facilities, or personnel available for the purposes of this article.

(Acts 1969, No. 399, p. 773, §12; Act 99-579, p. 1307, §2.)