The secretary of the department is generally authorized to make and adopt rules and regulations necessary to carry out the duties of the department at Section 9-1-5 E NMSA 1978. The general duties and purposes of the mining and minerals division are set out at Section 9-5A-4 D NMSA 1978 as amended 1987. The secretary is specially authorized to promulgate and enforce rules and regulations concerning operator compliance, Section 69-5-16; penalties for violations by operator, Section 69-6-1; registration of coal mines, Section 69-11-1; annual coal mine information to be furnished, Section 69-11-2; furnishing of requested coal mine data, Section 69-11-3; non-coal mine registration, notice of suspension and reactivation, Section 69-26-1; non-coal mine production information and confidentiality, Section 69-26-2; and non-coal mine request for information, Section 69-26-3 NMSA 1978, as amended 1989.
N.M. Admin. Code § 19.7.1.3