; and (3) whenever a permit is transferred to a new operator. . (b) Revision of permits Section 511 of the Surface Mining Control and Reclamation Act of 1977 ( 30 U.S.C. 1261 ) is amended— (1) by redesignating subsection (c) as subsection (d); and (2) by inserting after subsection (b) the following: (c) (1) Before approving a transfer, assignment, or sale of the rights granted under a permit issued pursuant to this Act or an application for a revision of a permit submitted under subsection (a), the regulatory authority shall recalculate the amount of the bond required under section 509 for such permit and require the transferee, assignee, or purchaser of the rights granted under the permit or the permittee, respectively, to post such amount. (2) A permittee and each covered person— (A) may not be released from liability under the permit; and (B) shall be jointly and severally liable for all reclamation costs incurred by the regulatory authority to complete reclamation under the permit, including treatment of all postmining water pollution. (3) In this subsection, the term covered person means, with respect to a permittee— (A) a person that owns or otherwise controls 30 percent or more of the capital interests of the permittee; and (B) a person that owns or otherwise controls 30 percent or more of the capital interests of a person described in subparagraph (A). . (c) Inspections and monitoring Section 517 of the Surface Mining Control and Reclamation Act of 1977 ( 30 U.S.C. 1267 ) is amended— (1) in subsection (e)— (A) by striking Each inspector and inserting (1) Each inspector ; and (B) by adding at the end the following: (2) Each inspector, upon completion of an inspection of any surface coal mining and reclamation operations, shall forthwith inform the regulatory authority of any changes to conditions at such surface coal mining and reclamation operations that may— (A) result in an unanticipated increase in the cost of reclamation of such surface coal mining and reclamation operations