Small - scale operation--Special permit laws applicable

Any mining operation, other than an in situ mining operation or a mining operation that employs a cyanide leaching or other chemical or biological leaching process to extract minerals from ore, which affects less than ten acres, excluding access roads, and extracts less than twenty - five thousand tons of ore or overburden per calendar year shall be subject to the provisions of §§ 45-6B-54 to 45-6B-63 , inclusive, and are not required to comply with the provisions of §§ 45-6B-5 to 45-6B-7 , inclusive, 45-6B-10 , 45-6B-14 , or