DECLARATION OF POLICY.

The legislature finds and declares that:

(1) the extraction of minerals by surface mining operations is a basic and essential activity making an important contribution to the economic well-being of the state and nation;

(2) proper reclamation of land explored for minerals and surface-mined land is necessary to prevent undesirable land and water conditions that would be detrimental to the general welfare, health, safety, and property rights of the citizens of this state;

(3) surface mining takes place in diverse areas where the geologic, topographic, climatic, biological, and social conditions are significantly different and that reclamation operations and the specifications for reclamation operations must vary accordingly;

(4) it is not always possible to explore for or to extract minerals required by our society without disturbing the earth and producing waste materials, and the very character of certain types of surface mining operations occasionally precludes complete restoration of the affected land to its original condition;

(5) unregulated surface mining may destroy or diminish the utility of land for commercial, industrial, residential, recreational, agricultural, and forestry purposes by causing erosion and landslides, by contributing to floods, by polluting the water, by destroying fish and wildlife habitats, by impairing natural beauty, by damaging the property of citizens, by creating hazards dangerous to life and property, by degrading the quality of life in local communities, and by counteracting governmental programs and efforts to conserve soil, water, and other natural resources, which results are declared to be inimical to the public interest and destructive to the public health, safety, welfare, and economy of the State of Texas;

(6) due to its unique character or location, some land within the state may be unsuitable for all or certain types of surface mining operations;

(7) reclamation of land explored for minerals and surface-mined land as provided by this chapter will allow the mining of valuable minerals in a manner designed for the protection and subsequent beneficial use of land; and

(8) the requirements of this chapter for reclamation and maintenance of affected land are necessary for the public health and safety and thus constitute a valid application of the police power of this state.