---
title: Title 12, Chapter 4. Mineral Resources and Caves
collection: code
id: code:chapter:12-4
canonical_url: https://georgiacommons.org/code/title/12/chapter/4
md_url: https://georgiacommons.org/code/12-4.md
date: 2025
status: active
corpus_version: 2025-supplement-89aa39ab3c68
license: CC0-1.0
publisher: Georgia Commons, an independent project of Georgia Civic Data. Not the State of Georgia. Not legal advice.
up: https://georgiacommons.org/code/12.md
previous: https://georgiacommons.org/code/12-3.md
next: https://georgiacommons.org/code/12-5.md
index: https://georgiacommons.org/code/index.md
heading: MINERAL RESOURCES AND CAVES
title_heading: CONSERVATION AND NATURAL RESOURCES
section_count: 50
full_url: https://georgiacommons.org/code/12-4.md?full=1
---

# Title 12, Chapter 4. Mineral Resources and Caves

Title 12. Conservation and Natural Resources

50 sections. Each line is `citation, catchline, status, URL`; the text of every section, in order, is at https://georgiacommons.org/code/12-4.md?full=1 (capped, with a pointer to continue).

- 12-4-1, Powers and duties of Environmental Protection Division as to mineral and geological resources, active, https://georgiacommons.org/code/12-4-1.md
- 12-4-20, Amount of reward; eligibility for reward, active, https://georgiacommons.org/code/12-4-20.md
- 12-4-21, Manner of distribution of reward, active, https://georgiacommons.org/code/12-4-21.md
- 12-4-22, Authorization for Governor to make payments from surplus or contingent funds, active, https://georgiacommons.org/code/12-4-22.md
- 12-4-40, Short title, active, https://georgiacommons.org/code/12-4-40.md
- 12-4-41, Legislative findings and declaration of policy, active, https://georgiacommons.org/code/12-4-41.md
- 12-4-42, Definitions, active, https://georgiacommons.org/code/12-4-42.md
- 12-4-43, Powers of board as to deep drilling, active, https://georgiacommons.org/code/12-4-43.md
- 12-4-44, Authority to adopt and promulgate rules and regulations, active, https://georgiacommons.org/code/12-4-44.md
- 12-4-45, Powers of board as to establishment of drilling and operation units; applicability of state antitrust laws to private agreements approved by board, active, https://georgiacommons.org/code/12-4-45.md
- 12-4-46, Drilling permits, active, https://georgiacommons.org/code/12-4-46.md
- 12-4-47, Bonds or undertaking by persons conducting drilling operations, active, https://georgiacommons.org/code/12-4-47.md
- 12-4-48, Actions by director to enforce part; civil penalties; effect of Code section on cause of action by royalty owners, lienholders, or other claimants, active, https://georgiacommons.org/code/12-4-48.md
- 12-4-49, Applicability of Chapter 13 of Title 50, the ‘‘Georgia Administrative Procedure Act.’’, active, https://georgiacommons.org/code/12-4-49.md
- 12-4-50, Obedience to subpoena required; self-incrimination not a defense; use of evidence in criminal prosecutions, active, https://georgiacommons.org/code/12-4-50.md
- 12-4-51, Effect of part on other laws, active, https://georgiacommons.org/code/12-4-51.md
- 12-4-52, Effect of part on authority and functions of other state officers and agencies, active, https://georgiacommons.org/code/12-4-52.md
- 12-4-52.1, Local authority, active, https://georgiacommons.org/code/12-4-52.1.md
- 12-4-53, Prohibited acts, active, https://georgiacommons.org/code/12-4-53.md
- 12-4-54, Levying of severance tax, active, https://georgiacommons.org/code/12-4-54.md
- 12-4-70, Short title, active, https://georgiacommons.org/code/12-4-70.md
- 12-4-71, Legislative purpose; duty of Environmental Protection Division to administer part, active, https://georgiacommons.org/code/12-4-71.md
- 12-4-72, Definitions, active, https://georgiacommons.org/code/12-4-72.md
- 12-4-73, Powers and duties of division as to surface mining generally; division may decline to assert jurisdiction, active, https://georgiacommons.org/code/12-4-73.md
- 12-4-74, Promulgation of rules and regulations by Board of Natural Resources, active, https://georgiacommons.org/code/12-4-74.md
- 12-4-75, Permits for surface mining operations; submission of mining land use plan and amendment to plan; bonding of applicants, active, https://georgiacommons.org/code/12-4-75.md
- 12-4-76, Substitution of mined areas, active, https://georgiacommons.org/code/12-4-76.md
- 12-4-77, Renewal or replacement of revoked permit; mining on unauthorized site, active, https://georgiacommons.org/code/12-4-77.md
- 12-4-78, Appeal to superior court, active, https://georgiacommons.org/code/12-4-78.md
- 12-4-79, Injunctive relief, active, https://georgiacommons.org/code/12-4-79.md
- 12-4-80, Removal of minerals, ores, and other solid matter as prima-facie evidence of surface mining, active, https://georgiacommons.org/code/12-4-80.md
- 12-4-81, Judgment pursuant to order, active, https://georgiacommons.org/code/12-4-81.md
- 12-4-82, Applicability of part, active, https://georgiacommons.org/code/12-4-82.md
- 12-4-83, Civil penalty; procedure for imposing penalties; hearing; judicial review; disposition of recovered penalties, active, https://georgiacommons.org/code/12-4-83.md
- 12-4-84, Criminal penalty, active, https://georgiacommons.org/code/12-4-84.md
- 12-4-100, Licenses to dig, mine, and remove phosphate deposits; restrictions on license holders, active, https://georgiacommons.org/code/12-4-100.md
- 12-4-101, Annual mining fee; license fee; affidavit and bond, active, https://georgiacommons.org/code/12-4-101.md
- 12-4-102, Lapse of license, active, https://georgiacommons.org/code/12-4-102.md
- 12-4-103, Penalty, active, https://georgiacommons.org/code/12-4-103.md
- 12-4-120, Duties of purchasers of gold bullion, dust, nuggets, or amalgam, active, https://georgiacommons.org/code/12-4-120.md
- 12-4-121, Annual reports by judges of probate court, active, https://georgiacommons.org/code/12-4-121.md
- 12-4-122, Penalty, active, https://georgiacommons.org/code/12-4-122.md
- 12-4-140, Short title, active, https://georgiacommons.org/code/12-4-140.md
- 12-4-141, Legislative purpose, active, https://georgiacommons.org/code/12-4-141.md
- 12-4-142, Definitions, active, https://georgiacommons.org/code/12-4-142.md
- 12-4-143, Defacing or disturbing natural condition of cave; breaking or tampering with gates, doors, or other device controlling or preventing access to caves; trespass, active, https://georgiacommons.org/code/12-4-143.md
- 12-4-144, Sale or offer to sell speleothems, active, https://georgiacommons.org/code/12-4-144.md
- 12-4-145, Storing hazardous or detrimental chemicals or materials in caves or sinkholes; dumping or disposing of garbage, dead animals, or similar materials in caves or sinkholes, active, https://georgiacommons.org/code/12-4-145.md
- 12-4-146, Killing, harming, removing, or disturbing wildlife found in a cave, active, https://georgiacommons.org/code/12-4-146.md
- 12-4-147, Liability of owners of caves for injuries, active, https://georgiacommons.org/code/12-4-147.md