Section 444.778 - Bond - form - amount - duration - forfeiture - power of reclamation1. Any bond herein provided to be filed with the commission by the operator shall be in such form as the director prescribes, payable to the state of Missouri, conditioned that the operator shall faithfully perform all requirements of sections 444.760 to 444.790 and comply with all rules of the commission made in accordance with the provisions of sections 444.760 to 444.790. The bond shall be signed by the operator as principal, and by a good and sufficient corporate surety, licensed to do business in this state, as surety. The operator shall file with the commission a bond payable to the state of Missouri with surety in the penal sum of eight thousand dollars for each permit up to eight acres and five hundred dollars for each acre thereafter that is to be mined. In addition, for each acre or portion thereof where topsoil has been removed from the site, an additional bond of four thousand five hundred dollars per acre shall be posted with the commission for each acre or portion thereof which will be revegetated, conditioned upon the faithful performance of the requirements set forth in sections 444.760 to 444.790 and of the rules and regulations of the commission. In lieu of a surety bond, the operator may furnish a bond secured by a personal certificate of deposit or irrevocable letter of credit in an amount equal to that of the required surety bond on conditions as prescribed by the commission. For any operator involved in any gravel mining operation where the annual tonnage of gravel mined by such operator is less than five thousand tons, such operator shall deposit a bond with the commission in the penal sum of five hundred dollars for each acre or portion thereof of land proposed thereafter by the operator to be subjected to surface mining for the mining permit year.2. The bond shall remain in effect until the mined acreages have been reclaimed, approved and released by the commission. Forfeiture of such bond may be cause for denial of future permit applications.3. A bond filed as above prescribed shall not be cancelled by the surety except after not less than ninety days' notice to the commission and, in any case, not as to the acreage affected prior to the expiration of the notice period.4. If the license to do business in this state of any surety upon a bond filed with the commission pursuant to sections 444.760 to 444.790 shall be suspended, revoked, or cancelled, or if the surety should act to cancel the bond, the operator, within sixty days after receiving notice thereof from the commission, shall substitute for such surety a good and sufficient corporate surety licensed to do business in this state or a bond secured by a certificate of deposit. Upon failure of the operator to make substitution of surety as herein provided, the commission shall have the right to suspend the permit of the operator until such substitution has been made.5. The commission shall give written notice to the operator of any violation of sections 444.760 to 444.790 or noncompliance with any of the rules and regulations promulgated by the commission hereunder and if corrective measures, approved by the commission, are not commenced within ninety days, the commission may proceed as provided in section 444.782 to request forfeiture of the bond.6. The commission shall have the power to reclaim, in keeping with the provisions of sections 444.760 to 444.790, any affected land with respect to which a bond has been forfeited. The commission and any other agency and any contractor under a contract with the commission shall have reasonable right of access to the land affected to carry out such reclamation. The operator shall also have the right of access to the land affected to carry out such reclamation and shall notify the landowner on lease holdings that such right exists.7. Whenever an operator shall have completed all requirements pursuant to the provisions of sections 444.760 to 444.790 as to any affected land, he or she shall notify the commission thereof. If the commission determines that the operator has completed the requirements, the commission shall release the operator from further obligations regarding the affected land and the penalty of the bond shall be reduced proportionately.L. 1971 H.B. 519 § 9, A.L. 1990 H.B. 1584, A.L. 1993 H.B. 312 & 257, A.L. 2001 H.B. 453