10/26/04 NEWS RELEASE

	Office of Surface Mining News Release

October 26, 2004
For immediate release
Media Advisory

Contact: Mike Gauldin
(202) 208-2565
mgauldin@osmre.gov

Deputy Secretary of the Interior Steve Griles Will tour abandoned mine land site in Southeastern Ohio

(Washington, DC) - Steven Griles, Deputy Secretary of the Interior, will visit Southeastern Ohio on Wednesday, October 27, to tour an abandoned mine land (AML) site in Perry County.

MEDIA AVAILABILITY: Reporters are invited to accompany Deputy Secretary Griles as he is briefed on the Misco West site.

WHO: Deputy Secretary of the Interior Steven Griles;

WHAT: Tour and briefing on the MiscoWest Reclamation site in the northeast corner of Perry County where there are 47 acres of burning coal refuse to be reclaimed.

WHEN: 10:30 am Wednesday, October 27

WHERE: Meet Deputy Secretary Griles' party at 10:30 in the Krogers parking lot in New Lexington and follow to the site.

Background

The Bush Administration has worked hard this year to convince Congress to renew the Department of the Interior's authority to continue collecting the Abandoned Mine Land Fund that pays for reclamation of abandoned sites. The Administration also proposed reforms that would put more of the money where it's needed, in places like Southeastern Ohio. A last-minute Congressional extension prevented the AML Fee authority from expiring, at least until November 20, but there is still a lot of work to be done to reauthorize the AML fee and keep the AML program working to make the coalfields a safer and more healthy place for Americans to live and work. -OSM-

Office of Surface Mining
1951 Constitution Ave. N.W.
Washington, D.C. 20240
202-208-2719
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