Utah Regulatory Program
Key claim: The Office of Surface Mining Reclamation and Enforcement is soliciting public comment on a proposed amendment to Utah’s coal regulatory program that would require plaintiffs to post a bond when obtaining a stay or temporary remedy in environmental actions, following passage of Utah HB 419.
Abstract
(Proposed Rule · Interior Department, Surface Mining Reclamation and Enforcement Office) The Office of Surface Mining Reclamation and Enforcement (OSM) is announcing receipt of a proposed amendment to the Utah coal regulatory program (hereinafter, the Utah program) under the Surface Mining Control and Reclamation Act of 1977 (SMCRA or the Act). Utah submitted this proposed amendment on its own initiative, following the passage of Utah House Bill 419 (HB 419) during the 2026 legislative session. HB 419 amended Title 72B, chapter 5, part 8 of the Utah Code Annotated (UCA) and would require that a bond be posted by a plaintiff who obtains a "stay or other temporary remedy issued by an agency for an “environmental action.” HB 419 also states that these changes are effective as of May 6, 2026. This document gives the times and locations that the Utah program and this proposed amendment to that program are available for your inspection, the comment period during which you may submit written comments on the amendment, and the procedures that we will follow for the public hearing, if one is requested.
Why this matters
The Office of Surface Mining Reclamation and Enforcement is soliciting public comment on a proposed amendment to Utah’s coal regulatory program that would require plaintiffs to post a bond when obtaining a stay or temporary remedy in environmental actions, following passage of Utah HB 419.