(a) No operations shall be conducted within any unit until a plan of operations has been submitted by the operator to the Superintendent and approved by the Regional Director. All operations within any unit shall be conducted in accordance with an approved plan of operations.

(b) The proposed plan of operations shall relate, as appropriate, to the proposed operations (e.g. exploratory, developmental or extraction work) and shall include but is not limited to:

(1) The names and legal addresses of the following persons: The operator, the claimant if he is not the operator, and any lessee, assignee, or designee thereof;

(2) A map or maps showing the proposed area of operations; existing roads or proposed routes to and from the area of operations; areas of proposed mining; location and description of surface facilities, including dumps;

(3) A description of the mode of transport and major equipment to be used in the operations;

(4) A description of the proposed operations and an estimated timetable for each phase of operations and the completion of operations;

(5) The nature and extent of the known deposit to be mined. When the claim is located in a National Monument in Alaska and is unpatented, a completed Supplemental Claim Information Statement shall be submitted describing the quantity, quality, and any previous production of the deposit;

(6) A mining reclamation plan demonstrating compliance with the requirements of § 9.11;

(7) All steps taken to comply with any applicable Federal, State, and local laws or regulations, including the applicable regulations in 36 CFR, chapter I;

(8) In units subject to the surface disturbance moratorium of section 4 of the Act and § 9.4, proof satisfactory to the Regional Director that the surface of the area on which the operation is to occur was significantly disturbed for purposes of mineral extraction prior to February 29, 1976, or if the area was not so disturbed, proof, including production records for the years 1973, 1974, and 1975, that new disturbance is necessary to maintain an average annual rate of production not to exceed that of the years 1973, 1974, and 1975;

(9) An environmental report analyzing the following:

(i) The environment to be affected by the operations,

(ii) The impacts of the operations on the unit's environment,

(iii) Steps to be taken to insure minimum surface disturbance,

(iv) Methods for disposal of all rubbish and other solid and liquid wastes,

(v) Alternative methods of extraction and the environmental effects of each,

(vi) The impacts of the steps to be taken to comply with the reclamation plan, and

(10) Any additional information that is required to enable the Regional Director to effectively analyze the effects that the operations will have on the preservation, management and public use of the unit, and to make a decision regarding approval or disapproval of the plan of operations and issuance or denial of the access permit.

(c) In all cases the plan must consider and discuss the unit's Statement for Management and other planning documents, and activities to control, minimize or prevent damage to the recreational, biological, scientific, cultural, and scenic resources of the unit.

(d) Any person conducting operations on January 26, 1977, shall be required to submit a plan of operations to the Superintendent. If otherwise authorized, operations in progress on January 26, 1977, may continue for 120 days from that date without having an approved plan. After 120 days from January 26, 1977, no such operations shall be conducted without a plan approved by the Regional Director, unless access is extended under the existing permit by the Regional Director. (See § 9.10(g).)