(1) In order to bring about a more desirable land use or promote the public interest and the environment, the cabinet may, at its discretion, issue special permits for the remining of previously affected areas, including but not limited to, secondary coal recovery operations, such as coal extraction from coal refuse piles and coal recovery from slurry ponds. Such permits may provide for alternate requirements for revegetation, topsoil, bonding, premining data collection requirements, water quality requirements where there are pre-existing pollutional discharges resulting from previous mining, and other provisions which may encourage remining and secondary coal recovery.
(2) The cabinet is hereby authorized to promulgate administrative regulations as necessary in order to implement the provisions of this section.