Ky. Rev. Stat. § 350.029
The cabinet is hereby authorized and empowered to adopt, after public hearing, reasonable regulations in order to formulate and establish effective programs for the control of surface soil disturbance in connection with mining as defined by the Interstate Mining Compact. Such regulations shall follow the general standards established in Article III of the Interstate Mining Compact. The cabinet shall have the authority to adopt such regulations prior to the effective date of the Interstate Mining Compact and irrespective of whether the state becomes a member or withdraws from membership in the Interstate Mining Compact. Nothing in this section shall be construed to grant the cabinet additional authority in regulating the strip mining of coal or clay, and the authority granted to the cabinet by this section shall be separate from the powers of the cabinet already enacted relating to the strip mining of coal and clay.
KRS 350.029