The following words and phrases, unless a different meaning is plainly required by the context, shall have the following meanings:

“Anthracite”.--The hard coal mined in the northeasterly part of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania commonly known as the Anthracite Region.

“Strip mining”.--The mining or recovery of coal by removing the material which overlies the coal bed in its natural or previously mined condition.

“Stripping pit”.--Any trench, cut, hole or pit formed by the removal of the surface or coal as a result of strip mining.

“Operation”.--A stripping pit located within the boundaries of a mine inspection district as outlined by the Pennsylvania Department of Mines and Mineral Industries: Provided, That in all cases where a single stripping pit extends across a mine inspection district line such pit will not be considered as two operations because of being located in two mine inspection districts.

“Operator”.--A person, partnership, association or corporation engaged in strip mining of anthracite coal as a principal, or who is or becomes the owner of the coal recovered as the result of such strip mining.

“Spoil banks”.--The material of whatever nature removed and deposited on the surface that the underlying coal may be recovered.

“Department”.--The Department of Mines and Mineral Industries of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania.

“Secretary”.--The Secretary of Mines and Mineral Industries.

“Abandoned”.--An operation where no coal has been produced or overburden removed for a period of six (6) months, verified by monthly reports submitted to the department by the operator and by inspections made by mine inspectors, unless an operator within thirty (30) days after receipt of notification by the secretary terming an operation abandoned submits sufficient evidence to the secretary that the operation is in fact not abandoned.

“Degree”.--When used in this act, shall mean inclination from the horizontal and in each case shall be subject to a tolerance of five (5) degrees.

“Landowner”.--The person, partnership, association or corporation, private, municipal or otherwise, in which the legal title to the land is vested.

“Overburden”.--The material or strata overlying a seam or seams of anthracite coal in its natural state.

“Area of land affected”.--The area of land from which the overburden is removed, except that in stripping pits not more than one hundred (100) feet in depth the area shall include that occupied by the spoil piles.

“Deep mining”.--Such mining as is presently or has previously been carried on by means of slope, tunnel, drift or shaft without the removal of the overburden.