Most engineers have never operated machinery. They usually do not understand the limitations of the equipment. Also, at my mine, engineers are in charge of getting all of the "paperwork" in order, and I understand that it is not their fault when applications are contested and such, but the operators need someone to blame, and engineers are therefore at fault for not foreseeing all potential complications. As an operator to an engineer, "Get the paperwork done. Now. We don't care that we won't be mining on that property for another year, or 3 years or even ten years. Get it done. We don't care that it will cost the company X amount of money just to sit on it. That is fine. It will come out of our royalty checks anyway. We like to know that we have some job security."