Regulatory Program
The coal regulatory program is authorized by Title V of the Surface Mining Law. A state may choose to take over the regulation of surface coal mining operations ("primacy"). If it does the state must develop a plan for the program, which must be approved by the Secretary of the Interior. Functions of a state coal regulatory program include permitting, inspection of mine sites, enforcement of mining laws and regulations, and bond release after mining and reclamation is complete.
- Regulatory Administration & Enforcement (A&E):
- Grants normally last for one year.
- Program is 50% federally funded with a required 50% state match.
- Applications are due to athe Office of Surface Mining 60 days before the grant is expected to begin.
- Applications and reports should be sent to the Office of Surface Mining by e-mail, or may be sent in hard copy, with an original signed form and two copies.
- The application includes a signature page (form SF-424), a budget (OSM 47) with a narrative explanation of budget items, a program narrative (may use OSM-51), certifications (DI-2010), and assurances (SF-424B). See the Forms page to download an application package or individual forms.
- Grant reports for a regulatory grant are semiannual. A report package includes a financial report, using the SF-269 or SF-269A form, and a programmatic report, which may be on the OSM-51 form. Interim reports are due 30 days after the end of the first six months of the budget period, and final reports are due 90 days after the end of the grant.
- Regulatory program development grants are awarded to Indian tribes to develop coal regulatory programs which may be implemented upon Congressional authorization of tribal primacy. Regulatory development grants are 100% federally funded. Application and report requirements are the same as Regulatory Administration & Enforcement grants to states.
Small Operator Assistance Program (SOAP) operational grants
Small Operator Assistance Program operational grants are 100% federally funded. States receive funding to provide small coal operators with some of the technical and scientific analysis needed to apply for a mining permit as required under Surface Mining Law. Small Operator Assistance Program operational grants last three years. Small Operator Assistance Program administrative costs are included in the coal Regulatory Administration & Enforcement grants. Application and report requirements are the same as forRegulatory Administration & Enforcement grants to states.
Abandoned Mine Land (AML) Grants
The Abandoned Mine Land program is authorized in Title IV of the Surface Mining Law. States with an approved program, or specific Indian tribes, are eligible for Abandoned Mine Land grants. The funds come from fees paid by active coal mine operators on each ton of coal mined.
Abandoned Mine Land grants have several different program functions, or subaccounts, combined into one grant agreement. The subaccounts all begin at the starting date of the grant, but they end at different times.
- Administrative Costs (1 year): Functions needed to operate the regular Abandoned Mine Land program.
- Project Costs (3 years): Construction work to reclaim abandoned mine sites.
- Emergency Program Administration and Project Construction Costs (1 year): administration and project costs to reclaim sites which pose too much immediate danger to wait for the regular program.
- Acid Mine Drainage Set-Aside and Future Set-Aside Costs: Funds awarded are deposited by the grantee into an interest-bearing account. Set-aside trust funds and interest may be spent by the state for specific targeted purposes.
- Subsidence Insurance Program (8 years): establish a self-sustaining program to provide insurance against coal-mining-related subsidence.
- Clean Streams Program (2 years): States provide funding to local groups to use as seed money to develop partnerships for acid mine drainage reclamation projects.
Abandoned Mine Land grants are 100% federally funded. Applications are due to the Office of Surface Mining 60 days before the grant is expected to begin. The application includes a signature page (form SF-424), a budget (OSM 49) and a narrative explanation of budget items, a program narrative (may use OSM-51), certifications (DI-2010), and assurances (SF-424B). See the Forms page to download an application package or individual forms. Applications and reports may be sent to the Office of Surface Mining electronically or in hard copy, an original signed form and two copies.
The grantee must submit programmatic reports (which may use the OSM 51 form) and financial reports (form OSM 49). Annual reports are due 90 days after each year, and final reports are due 90 days after the end of each subaccount.
Watershed Cooperative Agreement Program
The Office of Surface Mining awards cooperative agreements to not-for-profit organizations, especially small watershed groups, that undertake local acid mine drainage (AMD) reclamation projects. The maximum award amount is normally $100,000. See the Watershed Cooperative Agreements page to find out more about the program and how to apply.
