30 CFR § 816.15 - Casing and sealing of drilled holes: Permanent.
---
identifier: "/us/cfr/t30/s816.15"
source: "ecfr"
legal_status: "authoritative_unofficial"
title: "30 CFR § 816.15 - Casing and sealing of drilled holes: Permanent."
title_number: 30
title_name: "Mineral Resources"
section_number: "816.15"
section_name: "Casing and sealing of drilled holes: Permanent."
chapter_name: "OFFICE OF SURFACE MINING RECLAMATION AND ENFORCEMENT, DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR"
subchapter_number: "K"
subchapter_name: "PERMANENT PROGRAM PERFORMANCE STANDARDS"
part_number: "816"
part_name: "PERMANENT PROGRAM PERFORMANCE STANDARDS—SURFACE MINING ACTIVITIES"
positive_law: false
currency: "2026-03-24"
last_updated: "2026-03-24"
format_version: "1.1.0"
generator: "[email protected]"
authority: "30 U.S.C. 1201 and sec 115 of Pub. L. 98-146."
regulatory_source: "44 FR 15395, Mar. 13, 1979, unless otherwise noted."
cfr_part: "816"
---
# 816.15 Casing and sealing of drilled holes: Permanent.
When no longer needed for monitoring or other use approved by the regulatory authority upon a finding of no adverse environmental or health and safety effect, or unless approved for transfer as a water well under § 816.41, each exploration hole, other drilled hole or borehole, well, and other exposed underground opening shall be capped, sealed, backfilled, or otherwise properly managed, as required by the regulatory authority, under § 816.13 and consistent with 30 CFR 75.1711. Permanent closure measures shall be designed to prevent access to the mine workings by people, livestock, fish and wildlife, and machinery, and to keep acid or other toxic drainage from entering ground or surface waters.
[44 FR 15395, Mar. 13, 1979, as amended at 48 FR 43990, Sept. 26, 1983; 81 FR 93392, Dec. 20, 2016; 82 FR 54979, Nov. 17, 2017]