Whenever the following words are used in this chapter, they have the following meanings:
(a) "DEPARTMENT" means the Department of Planning and Development Services of the County of San Diego.
(b) "DIRECTOR OF CONSERVATION" means the Director of the Department of Conservation within the California Resources Agency.
(c) "SMARA" means the Surface Mining and Reclamation Act of 1975 (Public Resources Code, Section 2710 et seq.).
(d) "SMGB" means the State Mining and Geology Board.
(e) "SURFACE MINING" means all, or any part of, the process involved in the mining of minerals on mined lands by removing overburden and mining directly from the mineral deposits, open-pit mining of minerals naturally exposed, mining by the auger method, dredging and quarrying, surface work incident to an underground mine, borrow pitting, streambed skimming, and the segregation and stockpiling of mined materials and recovery of same. Surface mining shall include, but is not limited to: (i) inplace distillation or retorting or leaching; (ii) the production and disposal of mining waste; and (iii) prospecting and exploratory activities.
(Added by Ord. No. 9547 (N.S.), effective 5-9-03; amended by Ord. No. 9634 (N.S.), effective 4-23-04; amended by Ord. No. 10224 (N.S.), effective 10-25-12)