Unless otherwise provided in this article, no person shall conduct surface mining operations within an agriculturally zoned property, unless a surface mining permit, reclamation plan, and financial assurances have been approved in accordance with this chapter, except where the subject property has an existing Sand and Gravel (SG) overlay zone and a mining permit, reclamation plan, and financial assurances approved pursuant to Chapter 4 of Title 10 of this Code. Nothing in this chapter shall be interpreted as requiring the filing of a surface mining permit and/or reclamation plan application for lands where surface mining operations were completed prior to January 1, 1976. (§ 2, Ord. 1276, eff. December 6, 2001)